Olivia Dean with the Grammy for Best New Artist at the 68th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner/Billboard
“I Forgot”, una de las dos ambiciosas canciones que Cara Delevingne lanza hoy a través de Warner Records, tiene mucho que ofrecer. El tema oscila entre baladas sencillas y explosiones de distorsión hyperpop, y mientras Delevingne lo grababa con su colaborador BJ Burton (Charli XCX, Bon Iver), la modelo, actriz y música pensaba en cómo el público solo la conoce “a través de un teléfono, una valla publicitaria, una revista o algo así”, comenta. “Tenía la idea de que mi verdadero yo se abría paso a través del teléfono, intentando liberarme de la versión de mí mismo que la gente conocía o había preconcebido. Por eso, que esos momentos de pureza se abrieran paso entre ese sonido industrial y procesado me hizo sentir muy bien.”
La canción, lanzada junto con el tema de trip-hop “Out of My Head“, también trata sobre acostumbrarse a la intensidad de la vida desde que Delevingne dejó las drogas alrededor de 2022: “Esa sensación árida y cruda que tienes, expuesta y sin medicación, viviendo la vida por primera vez como una persona sobria“, dice. “Sientes que la búsqueda de peligro o la rebeldía son parte de ti, pero en el fondo hay una niña pequeña y una inocencia. Redescubrir eso fue aterrador. También darte cuenta de que no eres invencible y que no puedes seguir viviendo una vida donde no priorizas tu salud, ya sea mental o física”.
La sobriedad fue un “catalizador increíble” para que Delevingne finalmente se dedicara a la carrera musical que siempre había estado latente en su vida. Su álbum debut, grabado con Burton, se lanza con Warner a finales de verano boreal, y comenzará una gira de seis meses en junio, con algunos conciertos ya agotados. “Siempre hubo una parte de mí que pensó que lo lograría”, dice. “Sabía que sería un poco mayor, que tendría esa experiencia y esa perspectiva, esa confianza en mí misma”.
Ha cantado, compuesto canciones y tocado la batería y la guitarra prácticamente toda su vida. Entre los indicios que la llevaron hasta aquí: compuso y grabó una canción para la banda sonora de su película Valerian de 2017, participó como vocalista invitada en Fetch the Bolt Cutters, el proyecto de su amiga Fiona Apple, cantó en “Pills” de St. Vincent y obtuvo créditos como compositora en Baby de Dijon el año pasado.
En el próximo álbum de Delevingne, Apple le devuelve el favor coescribiendo la letra del tema bailable “Need It“. “Estábamos anotando cosas en Post-it y enviándonoslas, lo cual es muy gracioso, porque podríamos habernos enviado la letra por mensaje de texto”, dice. “Quería hacer una canción que la honrara, que honrara su influencia en mí como persona y como artista. Creo que sin la experiencia de estar en el estudio con ella, nunca me habría sentido capaz de ser yo misma, un poco como una niña, sin tener que fingir que sé lo que hago, actuar o cambiar”.
Cuando era adolescente, Delevingne firmó un contrato con 19 Management, la agencia de Simon Fuller, que quería convertirla en una estrella del pop convencional, una idea que finalmente rechazó. “Creo que querían obligarme a ser una artista controlada o diseñada por los que estaban al mando en ese momento”, dice. “Eso nunca me interesó en la música. Mi música favorita tiene que venir de lugares que a veces ni siquiera quieres mirar. Y aunque sea más difícil llegar a eso, ese iba a ser el único camino que quería tomar. Pero solo tenía que ser paciente conmigo misma, ser amable, dejar que sucediera, dejar que creciera. Es como un árbol. No crece rápido, desde luego.”
Mientras tanto, “Out of My Head”, que estalla en una locura de drum and bass a la mitad, se titulaba originalmente “Talking Heads”, pero Delevingne no quería que la gente pensara que era una referencia a la banda. “Se inspiró en la idea visual de estar en una cena donde todos hablan, pero nadie dice la verdad”, dice. “Y ese tipo de condición humana en la que a veces la gente prefiere guardar las apariencias cuando sabes que alguien tiene una aventura, o que alguien tiene un problema de drogas; es decir, nadie dice las cosas como son. Así que de ahí surgió.”
Las dos canciones también forman parte de un nuevo cortometraje dirigido por Jessica Lee Gagné, directora de fotografía de Severance. «Siempre quise hacer un videoclip doble, algo que no le comenté a Jessica en su momento», dice Delevingne. «Pero tuve la suerte de que ella tuviera exactamente la misma idea». El cortometraje está repleto de efectos visuales extravagantes y de aspecto costoso: «Mis gustos son un poco caros para una artista nueva», añade entre risas. «Pero ya me las arreglo».
Próximamente se estrenará un sencillo más pop, la pegadiza «Crazy Baby», que promete ser un éxito. «Curiosamente, no quería que fuera un sencillo», dice Delevingne, quien la escribió para su pareja, la música británica Minke. “Pensé que era demasiado obvio… Pero me encanta esa canción… Mi pareja, con quien he estado durante todo este proceso y que me ha apoyado muchísimo, lo hice para molestarla, en el sentido de que odia los gestos grandilocuentes y es una persona muy reservada. La letra es básicamente como: ‘Lo siento, pero esta es una canción de amor. Supéralo’. De una forma tierna”.
Delevingne no estaba segura de que firmaría con una gran discográfica para su música, que describe como “más bien de corte alternativo y con la sensación de que probablemente habría salido a través de una discográfica independiente. Tenía mis dudas y miedos, y me preocupaba quién sería mi socio”. Aaron Bay-Schuck, director ejecutivo y copresidente de Warner Records Group, la convenció demostrando confianza en su música desde sus inicios. “Cara es una fuerza de la naturaleza”, afirma Bay-Schuck en un comunicado. “Creo que eso es evidente para cualquiera que la haya visto modelar o actuar, o que la siga en redes sociales, pero en lo que respecta a la música, está en otro nivel. Cada aspecto de su arte, desde su voz hasta su composición, pasando por su maestría musical y su sensibilidad natural como productora, se manifiesta plenamente en este álbum.”
Delevingne añade: “Quería que este tipo de música sonara como música pop, en el sentido de que llegara a la mayor cantidad de gente posible. Si alguien puede escucharla y sentir algo, eso es todo lo que quiero”.
The post Cómo la sobriedad, Fiona Apple y mucha paciencia ayudaron a Cara Delevingne a impulsar su carrera musical appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
Las elecciones siempre han sido uno de los grandes espectáculos del poder. Hay discursos, promesas, traiciones, publicidad, escándalos, encuestas y candidatos capaces de vender cualquier idea con tal de llegar a una oficina. Por eso el cine encontró en las campañas políticas un territorio dramático inagotable. Algunas películas abordan el tema desde la sátira feroz; otras desde el thriller paranoico, el drama moral o la comedia grotesca. Pero todas entienden algo fundamental y es que durante una elección no solamente se disputa un cargo público, también se pone en juego la imagen que una sociedad tiene de sí misma. Ya lo decía el filósofo, escritor y diplomático contrarrevolucionario francés Joseph de Maistre: “Cada pueblo tiene el gobierno que se merece”
En América Latina el tema suele aparecer ligado a la corrupción estructural, la manipulación mediática y el clientelismo. En Hollywood, en cambio, muchas veces se convierte en un espejo sobre el desgaste del ideal democrático estadounidense. Y luego están las películas que simplemente entienden que la política puede ser tan absurda que termina pareciendo una farsa amarga.
Estas son 15 de las mejores películas sobre elecciones, candidatos y campañas políticas.
15. Mamagay (1977) / El candidato (1978)
Dir. Jorge Gaitán Gómez / Mario Mitrotti
Aunque separadas por apenas un año, estas dos películas colombianas hijas del longevo programa humorístico Sábados felices, ofrecen dos miradas muy similares sobre las campañas electorales y el ejercicio del poder. En Mamagay, el albañil interpretado por Humberto Martínez Salcedo, al ganarse la lotería, se convierte en el vehículo de una sátira popular que retrata la política como un espectáculo lleno de oportunismo, promesas vacías y personajes que buscan beneficiarse del sistema más que transformarlo. La película utiliza el humor costumbrista para reflejar una sociedad donde las campañas se parecen cada vez más a un carnaval de intereses particulares.
El candidato, por su parte, adopta un tono más frontal y amargo. La historia sigue al Dr. Clímaco Urrutia U. (Jaime Santos), un aspirante presidencial atrapado en una red de presiones económicas, pactos políticos y manipulaciones que terminan revelando hasta qué punto las elecciones pueden convertirse en una batalla entre grupos de poder antes que en una verdadera confrontación de ideas.
Jorge Gaitán Gómez y Mario Mitrotti (el director que descubrió en un comercial a Sofía Vergara), construyen un retrato desencantado de la democracia latinoamericana de los años setenta, mostrando cómo la corrupción, la propaganda y las alianzas ocultas condicionan el destino de quienes aspiran a gobernar.
Vistas hoy, ambas películas resultan complementarias. Una utiliza la comedia para desnudar los absurdos del sistema; la otra apuesta por la exposición de sus mecanismos más oscuros. Juntas ofrecen un retrato valioso de una época en la que el cine colombiano comenzó a mirar las elecciones no como una fiesta democrática, sino como un escenario donde el poder real rara vez coincide con el discurso público.
14. Atilano, presidente (1998)
Dir. Santiago Aguilar y Luis Guridi (La Cuadrilla)
Atilano Bermejo (Manuel Manquiña) es un pícaro empleado de una funeraria que utiliza información de los difuntos para cometer pequeñas estafas hasta que un grupo de poderosos banqueros decide convertirlo en candidato a la presidencia del Gobierno español.
Lo eligen precisamente porque carece de ideología, ambiciones políticas o conciencia social, convirtiéndolo en la pantalla perfecta detrás de la cual las élites financieras pueden proteger sus intereses. La película utiliza el humor absurdo y la tradición picaresca española para construir una sátira cruel y salvaje sobre la relación entre el dinero y la política, anticipando muchos debates contemporáneos sobre candidatos fabricados por poderes económicos. Detrás de sus situaciones disparatadas aparece una crítica sorprendentemente lúcida a una democracia donde la imagen pública puede importar más que las convicciones de quien aspira a gobernar.
13. El candidato honesto (2024)
Dir. Luis Felipe Ybarra
En apariencia esta es una comedia política ligera construida alrededor de una premisa fantástica: Un candidato presidencial corrupto descubre que ya no puede mentir en plena campaña electoral. Sin embargo, detrás de ese punto de partida absurdo, la película lanza una pregunta clave sobre la naturaleza misma de la política contemporánea: ¿Qué ocurriría si un aspirante al poder estuviera obligado a decir siempre la verdad?
Interpretado por Adrián Uribe, el protagonista ve cómo años de corrupción, oportunismo, promesas vacías y negociaciones ocultas comienzan a salir a la luz frente a las cámaras, los asesores y los votantes. La película utiliza el humor para evidenciar hasta qué punto la mentira se ha normalizado dentro del discurso político moderno, convirtiendo la honestidad no en una virtud sino en una amenaza para el sistema. Aunque apuesta más por la sátira popular que por la crítica punzante, termina funcionando como una reflexión bastante certera sobre las campañas electorales construidas alrededor de la imagen, el mercadeo y la manipulación emocional de los ciudadanos.
12. La dictadura perfecta (2014)
Dir. Luis Estrada
Una de las sátiras políticas más feroces producidas en América Latina durante las últimas décadas. La historia arranca cuando un poderoso canal de televisión necesita desviar la atención de un escándalo que compromete al presidente mexicano y decide convertir a un gobernador provincial corrupto e incompetente en un héroe nacional. A partir de ahí, la película expone con una precisión demoledora cómo los medios de comunicación pueden fabricar reputaciones, manipular narrativas y transformar delincuentes en líderes populares.
Lo más inquietante es que Estrada nunca presenta la corrupción como una anomalía, sino como parte integral de una maquinaria donde políticos, empresarios, periodistas y ciudadanos participan activamente. Más que una comedia sobre elecciones, La dictadura perfecta es una radiografía del poder mediático en la era de la televisión masiva y una advertencia sobre sociedades donde la percepción termina siendo más importante que los hechos. Su vigencia resulta incluso más inquietante hoy, en tiempos dominados por las redes sociales, la desinformación y las campañas construidas alrededor de emociones antes que de realidades.
11. Game Change (2012)
Dir. Jay Roach
Pocas películas han retratado con tanta precisión el caos interno de una campaña presidencial moderna. Basada en hechos reales, la historia sigue al estratega republicano Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson), quien ve en la gobernadora de Alaska Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) la figura capaz de revitalizar la candidatura presidencial de John McCain (Ed Harris) durante las elecciones estadounidenses de 2008. Lo que inicialmente parece una apuesta política brillante termina transformándose en una pesadilla cuando los asesores descubren que Palin posee enormes limitaciones para enfrentar la presión mediática, los debates y el escrutinio nacional. La película funciona simultáneamente como un thriller político y como un estudio sobre la fabricación de candidatos en la era televisiva. Julianne Moore realiza una interpretación extraordinaria al mostrar a Palin no como caricatura ni como víctima, sino como una figura compleja atrapada entre sus propias ambiciones y una maquinaria electoral que la convirtió en producto mediático. A su alrededor, Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris y Ron Livingston construyen el retrato de un equipo que observa cómo una campaña presidencial puede terminar definida más por la imagen y la percepción pública que por las ideas o la preparación real de sus candidatos. Game Change anticipó una política contemporánea donde el espectáculo terminaría imponiéndose sobre la experiencia y el conocimiento.
10. Torrente, presidente (2026)
Dir. Santiago Segura
José Luis Torrente (Santiago Segura), el policía más incompetente, corrupto y políticamente incorrecto del cine español, descubre accidentalmente que posee opciones reales de llegar a la presidencia del Gobierno. Lo que comienza como una broma absurda termina convirtiéndose en una sátira despiadada sobre el populismo, el culto a la personalidad y la degradación del debate público contemporáneo.
Segura utiliza al personaje como una exageración grotesca de muchos discursos políticos actuales simplistas, estridentes, oportunistas y diseñados para explotar el resentimiento ciudadano. A medida que la campaña avanza, asesores, empresarios, periodistas y estrategas descubren que la falta absoluta de preparación de Torrente no representa un obstáculo electoral, sino una ventaja.
La película juega constantemente con la idea de que la política moderna premia la visibilidad por encima de la competencia y la provocación por encima de las propuestas. Más allá de sus excesos humorísticos y su incorrección deliberada, la cinta termina funcionando como una reflexión sobre una época donde el espectáculo y la política parecen haberse fusionado definitivamente.
9. The Candidate (1972)
Dir. Michael Ritchie
Bill McKay (Robert Redford) es un joven abogado idealista que acepta competir por un escaño en el Senado de California porque le aseguran que no tiene ninguna posibilidad de ganar. Libre de presiones electorales, decide decir exactamente lo que piensa sobre desigualdad, medio ambiente, derechos civiles y corrupción política. Sin embargo, a medida que la campaña avanza y las encuestas comienzan a favorecerlo, descubre que la maquinaria electoral exige concesiones constantes, mensajes simplificados y una imagen cuidadosamente construida para atraer votantes.
Lo que hace extraordinaria a la película es que nunca presenta la corrupción política como un acto repentino de traición moral, sino como un proceso gradual de adaptación al sistema. Redford construye uno de los grandes personajes políticos del cine estadounidense: un hombre que empieza la campaña convencido de que puede cambiar la política y termina preguntándose cuánto de sí mismo ha tenido que sacrificar para sobrevivir dentro de ella. El plano final sigue siendo una de las conclusiones más devastadoras jamás filmadas sobre el vacío que puede esconderse detrás de una victoria electoral.
8. The Ides of March (2011)
Dir. George Clooney
Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) es un joven y brillante asesor de campaña que trabaja para el carismático gobernador Mike Morris (George Clooney), favorito en las primarias presidenciales del Partido Demócrata. Convencido de estar participando en una campaña distinta, basada en principios y no en cálculos cínicos, Meyers descubre poco a poco que la política moderna es un territorio donde las convicciones suelen ser la primera víctima. A medida que enfrenta traiciones, chantajes, negociaciones secretas y escándalos personales, comprende que la diferencia entre idealistas y oportunistas es mucho más pequeña de lo que imaginaba.
Basada parcialmente en la obra Farragut North e inspirada en campañas reales, la película retrata el mundo electoral como una maquinaria donde la imagen pública, los pactos estratégicos y la supervivencia política pesan más que los discursos sobre cambio y esperanza. Gosling entrega una de las mejores interpretaciones de su carrera al mostrar la transformación de un creyente en un operador político, mientras Clooney construye un candidato cuya aparente integridad se vuelve cada vez más ambigua. Más que una película sobre ganar elecciones es una historia sobre el precio moral que exige acercarse al poder.
7. Bulworth (1998)
Dir. Warren Beatty
El senador Jay Bulworth (Warren Beatty) atraviesa una profunda crisis personal y política en plena campaña de reelección. Convencido de que ha perdido toda esperanza y cansado de repetir discursos vacíos escritos por asesores, comienza a decir exactamente lo que piensa sobre el dinero en la política, el racismo, los medios de comunicación y la hipocresía del sistema electoral estadounidense. Lo que debería destruir su carrera produce el efecto contrario: los votantes empiezan a escucharlo por primera vez.
Beatty construye una maravillosa sátira sobre la profesionalización de la política y la desconexión entre candidatos y ciudadanos. A medida que Bulworth se libera de las reglas tradicionales de la campaña, la película se convierte en una reflexión sorprendentemente vigente sobre la influencia de los grandes donantes, la manipulación mediática y la autenticidad como valor político. Halle Berry, en el papel de Nina, aporta además una dimensión social y racial que obliga al protagonista a confrontar realidades que había ignorado durante toda su carrera. Divertida, provocadora y mucho más inteligente de lo que aparenta, Bulworth sigue siendo una de las sátiras electorales más incisivas producidas por Hollywood.
6. State of the Union (1948)
Dir. Frank Capra
Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy) es un exitoso empresario que es convencido por operadores políticos y magnates influyentes para aspirar a la presidencia de Estados Unidos. Lo que parece una oportunidad para llevar al gobierno a un hombre independiente pronto se transforma en una batalla entre principios y conveniencia electoral. Mientras su esposa Mary Matthews (Katharine Hepburn) intenta preservar su integridad moral, la estratega política Kay Thorndyke (Angela Lansbury) trabaja para moldear al candidato según las necesidades del partido y de los grupos económicos que respaldan su campaña.
Capra, conocido por su fe en las instituciones democráticas, ofrece aquí una mirada mucho más escéptica sobre el proceso electoral estadounidense. La película muestra cómo los ideales pueden quedar atrapados entre compromisos, cálculos políticos y presiones de quienes financian las campañas. Décadas antes de que se hablara de consultores de imagen o marketing electoral moderno, State of the Union ya advertía que el principal riesgo de la democracia no siempre son los malos candidatos, sino los intereses que intentan controlarlos una vez alcanzan relevancia política.
5. Primary Colors (1998)
Dir. Mike Nichols
Henry Burton (Adrian Lester), un joven asesor político idealista, se incorpora a la campaña presidencial del gobernador Jack Stanton (John Travolta), un candidato carismático, brillante y extraordinariamente talentoso para conectar con los votantes. Inspirada claramente en la figura de Bill Clinton, la película sigue el ascenso de Stanton mientras enfrenta escándalos sexuales, ataques de prensa y maniobras políticas que amenazan constantemente su candidatura.
Lo fascinante es que Mike Nichols nunca convierte a Stanton en héroe ni villano. Es un hombre capaz de inspirar auténtica esperanza y, al mismo tiempo, de protagonizar conductas profundamente cuestionables. Emma Thompson, como Susan Stanton, construye un personaje igualmente complejo, consciente de las contradicciones de su marido pero convencida de la importancia de sus ideales políticos. Primary Colors explora la tensión permanente entre carácter y liderazgo, preguntándose si un político puede ser moralmente imperfecto y aun así convertirse en el mejor candidato disponible. Pocas películas han retratado con tanta inteligencia la mezcla de idealismo, cinismo, seducción y pragmatismo que define las campañas presidenciales modernas.
4. Bananas (1971)
Dir. Woody Allen
Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen) es un neoyorquino torpe e inseguro cuya vida cambia cuando, intentando impresionar a una activista política llamada Nancy (Louise Lasser), termina involucrado accidentalmente en una revolución latinoamericana. Lo que comienza como una parodia de los movimientos insurgentes y las dictaduras bananeras deriva poco a poco en una sátira delirante sobre el poder, los medios de comunicación y la construcción de líderes políticos. Allen utiliza el absurdo para mostrar cómo un ciudadano completamente incapaz puede terminar convertido en figura pública y símbolo revolucionario simplemente porque las circunstancias lo empujan hacia ese papel. Detrás de los chistes, los falsos noticieros, las transmisiones deportivas de golpes de Estado y las situaciones disparatadas, la película cuestiona la facilidad con la que la opinión pública acepta relatos simplificados sobre héroes, revolucionarios y gobernantes. Más de cincuenta años después, sigue siendo una de las sátiras más ingeniosas sobre la política convertida en espectáculo mediático.
3. Bob Roberts (1992)
Dir. Tim Robbins
Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins) es un exitoso cantante folk al estilo de Bob Dylan que decide postularse al Senado de Estados Unidos utilizando su fama mediática como principal herramienta electoral. Presentado como un falso documental, la película sigue la campaña de este candidato que combina discursos populistas, patriotismo agresivo, ataques a las élites culturales y una extraordinaria habilidad para manipular la opinión pública.
Mientras el periodista Bugs Raplin (Giancarlo Esposito) intenta investigar las contradicciones y posibles delitos que rodean al candidato, descubre que los medios y los votantes parecen más interesados en el espectáculo que en la verdad. Lo impresionante es que la película se estrenó en 1992 y parece anticipar fenómenos políticos que dominarían décadas posteriores. Robbins, en su debut como director, construye una sátira brillante sobre la transformación de la política en entretenimiento, la fabricación de figuras populistas y el poder de los medios para convertir la imagen en realidad. Lo que entonces parecía exageración hoy se siente inquietantemente profético.
2. Wag the Dog (1997)
Dir. Barry Levinson
Cuando un escándalo sexual amenaza con destruir la reelección del presidente de Estados Unidos a pocos días de las elecciones, el estratega Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) idea una solución tan absurda como brillante: fabricar una guerra. Para hacerlo recluta al productor de Hollywood Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman), quien utiliza todas las herramientas del espectáculo para construir un conflicto inexistente que monopolice la atención de los medios y desvíe la conversación pública. Lo extraordinario de la película es la facilidad con la que convence al espectador de que semejante disparate resulta perfectamente posible.
De Niro interpreta a un operador político frío, pragmático y consciente de que la percepción vale más que la realidad, mientras Hoffman ofrece una de las mejores actuaciones de su carrera como un productor incapaz de resistirse al mayor montaje de su vida. Estrenada antes de la explosión de las redes sociales y de la era de la posverdad, Wag the Dog se adelantó a los debates sobre manipulación mediática, noticias fabricadas y espectáculos políticos diseñados para controlar la agenda pública. Toda una advertencia sobre el poder de quienes construyen los relatos que terminan consumiendo a los ciudadanos.
1. No (2012)
Dir. Pablo Larraín
René Saavedra (Gael García Bernal) es un joven publicista que recibe una misión aparentemente imposible: diseñar la campaña televisiva del “No” para el plebiscito chileno de 1988, consulta popular que definiría si Augusto Pinochet continuaría en el poder o si el país iniciaría su transición democrática. Lo que hace extraordinaria a la película es que no se concentra en la política tradicional, sino en la comunicación política.
Mientras dirigentes opositores desean centrar la campaña en las violaciones a los derechos humanos y la represión de la dictadura, René insiste en construir un mensaje optimista, colorido y esperanzador capaz de seducir a millones de ciudadanos cansados del miedo. Larraín explora así una pregunta fascinante: ¿Puede la publicidad derrotar a una dictadura? Utilizando cámaras U-Matic de la época e integrando material de archivo real, la película borra constantemente la frontera entre ficción y realidad. Gael García Bernal ofrece una actuación contenida e inteligente como un hombre que entiende que las elecciones modernas no solo se ganan con ideas, sino también con narrativas capaces de conectar emocionalmente con el electorado. No es una reflexión brillante sobre el poder de las imágenes, la construcción del mensaje político y la manera en que la democracia contemporánea terminó adoptando muchas de las herramientas de la publicidad comercial. Para muchos, sigue siendo la mejor película jamás realizada sobre una elección.
Presidentes en crisis – Rolling Stone en Español
The post Las urnas del poder: 15 grandes películas sobre elecciones, candidatos y manipulación política appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
Es solo una habitación vacía; un espacio en blanco literal. Bueno, vale, está ese montón de muebles, dispuestos de una manera desordenada y caótica que sugiere bien un santuario improvisado o bien un arcano ritual sagrado. Y un recorte de cartón de lo que parece ser un antiguo nazareno, reproduciendo una grabación con ecos en varios idiomas. Y una señal de stop aleatoria, con su orden central curiosamente invertida como si se vislumbrara en un espejo. Y sí, si te aventuras más allá de esa primera abertura y sigues avanzando por una serie interminable de pasillos, todos ellos iluminados por fluorescentes para potenciar al máximo la migraña y pintados de un color descrito como “mono-amarillo”, es posible que encuentres objetos como sillas, zapatos y maniquíes que sobresalen de las paredes y los suelos, como si hubieran estado atravesando una superficie y se hubieran quedado atascados a mitad de camino. Quiero decir, ¿qué tiene eso de espeluznante y perturbador?
Mucho. Cuando un adolescente llamado Kane Parsons empezó a publicar cortos en su canal de YouTube sobre una serie de espacios liminales titulada The Backrooms, acabó convirtiendo el material de un hilo de 4chan en una sensación viral del terror en internet. Presentados en su mayor parte como metraje encontrado (found footage) y con una mitología elíptica en torno a una organización conocida como el Async Research Institute, estos clips tenían la capacidad de colarse bajo la piel y en la psique. La pregunta no era si Parsons atraería la atención de productores y directores como James Wan y Osgood Perkins, o de la buena gente de A24, sino cuándo daría el salto a una plataforma de terror hípster más grande.
Su debut en el largometraje, Backrooms, toma la premisa de aquellos cortos y la exprime; es la carbonara del cine creepypasta, añadiendo sabrosos elementos kubrickianos al estilo de cámara de vídeo fuemente salpimentado a lo Blair Witch Project de su material original, y desplegando una inventiva que compensa cualquier sensación de falta de originalidad. El hecho de que el concepto no solo haya dado el salto al formato largo, sino que mantenga su narrativa de lógica pesadillesca con una eficacia tan inquietante, ya es de por sí impresionante. Que exprima tanto una idea minimalista que gira en torno a una estética de M.C. Escher jugando a Minecraft se siente como una leve anomalía evolutiva dentro del género. Aquí el menos no es solo más. Es evocador de una manera que sugiere una estirpe completamente diferente de terror existencialista del siglo XXI.
Aventúrense, espectadores de voluntad firme, en una tienda de muebles aparentemente anodina en San José, California, hacia 1990. Probablemente hayan pisado un millón de locales comerciales como este antes, incluso si no tenían una temática pirata tan extraña como Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire. Su gerente se llama Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Clark se encuentra en un período de transición en su vida. Sus sueños de ser arquitecto se han ido al traste. Su esposa lo ha echado de casa y, dada la volatilidad y los problemas de ira que muestra en las sesiones con su terapeuta, Mary (Renate Reinsve), no es de extrañar. Clark ha quedado reducido a rodar anuncios comerciales disfrazado por completo de Long John Silver y a beber hasta quedarse dormido tras el cierre de la tienda.
Empiezan a ocurrir cosas extrañas. Las luces parpadean. Clark y un hombre de mantenimiento se topan con dos interruptores eléctricos que no conectan a ninguna parte. Un fragmento de imágenes de vigilancia de una misteriosa puerta parpadea durante una película nocturna en la televisión, justo antes de que se corte la luz. Cuando baja a la sala de exposición del sótano de la tienda, divisa una extraña rendija de luz que emana de una grieta detrás de las paredes. Aún más extraño: Clark puede caminar a través de una de esas paredes. Es entonces cuando detecta la primera de las “trastiendas” de la película, esa con todas esas sillas y divanes apilados unos sobre otros. Habrá más con las que se topará a medida que empiece a explorar este cubil subterráneo previamente desconocido. Infinitas, infinitas más.
Pronto, Clark menciona este descubrimiento a su terapeuta —tras preguntar maníacamente si alguna vez ha emitido una orden de internamiento psiquiátrico involuntario 5150— y le muestra un mapa que ha dibujado de los numerosos pasadizos y recintos periféricos de este submundo. “No digo que no te crea”, responde Mary con cautela, con una voz que rezuma incredulidad. Con el tiempo, Clark recluta a dos jóvenes videógrafos (Finn Bennett y Lukita Maxwell) para que le ayuden a filmar nuevas exploraciones en las entrañas de estas trastiendas. Tiempo después, Mary recibe un críptico mensaje de voz de su cliente. Preocupada por su seguridad, se presenta en Cap’n Clark’s y lo encuentra prácticamente abandonado, con el hilo musical resonando todavía por los altavoces. Mary también descubre el contorno encintado de una puerta en una pared de la planta baja. Y entonces ella también entra en los backrooms…
El diseño de producción es algo que resulta fácil dar por sentado cuando se trata de desgranar a posteriori los elementos de la creación cinematográfica, ya sea de terror o de cualquier otro tipo, pero es imposible sobrestimar lo crucial que resulta la visión de Danny Vermette sobre el terrorífico limbo que da título a la película. Una especie de espacio de oficinas industriales genérico que resulta desconcertantemente estéril y que, sin embargo, sugiere que Salvador Dalí tuvo una segunda carrera como decorador de interiores —tantas aberturas torcidas, escaleras interrumpidas y accesos que conducen a callejones sin salida y a una sensación de pavor de no tener salida—, es descrito por Clark como “cada lugar que existió jamás”. Sin embargo, es realmente la última parada en la carretera a ninguna parte, y exactamente el tipo de lugar que sugiere un estado permanente de extravío. La pérdida, como era de esperar, se revela como un factor clave en la historia que Parsons intenta contar, aunque la narrativa a menudo ceda el paso a la atmósfera y a las vibraciones de mal augurio. Se nota que Parsons creció con vídeos de internet y videojuegos de construcción de mundos. La película a veces funciona mejor como un efecto que, digamos, como una metáfora de estar estancado en la rutina o de verse incapaz de dejar atrás un trauma desestabilizador y profundo.
| Pero, ¡por Jesús, María y John Carpenter, qué efecto! Backrooms es tan buena a la hora de ofrecer un escaparate para el terror flotante de Parsons y compañía que casi se puede pasar por alto (o, más apropiadamente, hacer un Overlook) el hecho de que no está diciendo mucho más allá de: cuidado con esos demonios que vagan por el interior de tu cráneo. Tienen una desagradable forma de convertirse en un problema del mundo real. Pero a veces eso es suficiente para activar por completo algunos miedos primitivos colectivos. Al igual que su hermano de espanto existencial basado en videojuegos, Exit 8, es una película que se deleita en la sensación de deambular en círculos perpetuos. También puede señalar el camino a seguir para un género que resulta emocionante y petrificante a partes iguales, con sus propias formas de desasosiego únicas.
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Irish star CMAT has shared a statement responding to misogynistic body-shaming comments following a performance at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
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Writing on Instagram on Thursday (May 28) the musician, born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, said she felt “compelled to wade in and speak for myself” following the abuse posted about her weight and body following a performance at the festival in Sunderland, England on Sunday (May 24).
“It is literally so boring for me, a gorgeous genius, to keep having to yap on about how horribly I am treated because of my body,” she wrote. “I would love to stop but I cannot because it keeps happening, at an accelerating and worsening pace as I become more famous.”
She added that she is “not being defiant. I am not choosing to look like this or weigh this much as some kind of punk rock act of liberty. I simply have a body, one that I would of course like to change in order to fit in and avoid all of this abuse, but I have had extreme difficulty in doing so. I don’t get a say in whether or not I want to be brave, I simply have to sit here and take it.”
In her statement, she shared screengrabs from a Substack essay from Front Row Feels which “summed up a lot of what is causing my deep sadness.” CMAT also wrote that she had deleted much of her access to social media following ongoing abuse; in 2024, the BBC closed comments on a performance clip by CMAT at the Big Weekend event in Luton following similar abuse.
She concluded, “With all that being said, I am at the same time very very happy and grateful every day to have the job that I have. the feeling of seeing all your dreams come true after so many years of constant grinding towards them….. chefs kiss. but the success is increasingly becoming tarnished by the fact that I would be allowed to enjoy it so much more if I was thin.”
A number of stars including Olivia Dean – who performed after CMAT at the event – showed support on the Instagram post. Brandi Carlile commented, “Been a while since I was in a bar fight but I’d have one over CMAT.”
“Take A Sexy Picture of Me,” a song from her third album Euro-Country touched on the subject of body image; the LP won the best album prize at last week’s Ivor Novello Awards (May 21).
Noah Kahan is gathering some of his favorite musical friends for the 2027 Out of the Blue Festival. The four-night concert will take place at the Moon Palace Resort in Riviera Cancun, Mexico from Jan. 7-10 and feature a headline set from Kahan, as well as music from Paramore singer and solo star Hayley Williams, Mt. Joy, The Head and the Heart and the traditional Noah Kahan and Friends set.
In addition, the weekend will include Gregory Alan Isakov, Gigi Perez, Del Water Gap, Buffalo Traffic Jam, Mon Rovia and more acts to be announced at a later date.
The event poster promises and all-inclusive festival with up-close experiences with your favorite artists, sit-ins and surprises, daily pool performances, late-night sets and a chance to get a taste of local culture and adventures. “Here we go again… year four of @outofthebluefest with an epic lineup let’s do this. We’ve got some more friends and alums coming down to join the party too,” Kahan wrote on Instagram in an announcement.
All ticket packages will go on sale on June 3 at 1 p.m. ET; click here for more ticket details.
This year’s event, which also took place in early January at the AAA-rated Moon Palace Resort, featured Kahan, Mumford & Sons, Caamp, Role Model, Flipturn, Perez, Sam Barber and more.
Kahan is gearing up to his the road with his The Great Divide tour this summer, beginning with a June 11 show at the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla.
Check out the full poster for Kahan’s 2027 Out of the Blue Festival below.
Bret Michaels won’t be performing at the Great American State Fair.
The ex-Poison singer has scratched his name from the line-up, a 16-day free festival in Washington, D.C., running June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. He becomes the sixth act to walk away since the music program was announced on Wednesday, May 27 by Freedom 250.
“Unfortunately,” he writes in a lengthy social post, “what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of. Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.”
Because of that, he continues, “I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.”
The Great American State Fair is operated by Freedom 250, a not-for-profit organization created by a task force under the Trump administration to plan and spearhead the United States’ official semiquincentennial anniversary celebrations.
“This isn’t about politics,” says Michaels of his decision. “It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.”
As a member of Poison, Michaels landed 12 titles on the Billboard Hot 100, including a No. 1 with 1988’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” which paced the chart for three weeks. The rockers also bagged 12 entries on the Billboard 200, including three top 10s. As a solo artist, Michaels has bagged three titles on the Billboard 200.
Michael’s Great American State Fair u-turn follows the exits of Morris Day & The Time, Young MC, Milli Vanilli and Martina McBride. Artists still on the bill include Vanilla Ice and C+C Music Factory, who are doubling down on their involvement. Flo Rida has yet to comment.
Poison is currently celebrating its own anniversary — 40 years since the release of the glam metal band’s 1986 studio album, Look What the Cat Dragged In. Michaels insists his Live and Amplified Tour 2026 won’t be affected by his call to pull out of the Great American State Fair.
The executive honorees on this second annual Billboard U.K. Power Players list are driving a level of global success not seen in years.
The past year saw a number of British and Irish artists reach new heights on a number of Billboard’s charts. Olivia Dean has taken up residency on both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200, while Sleep Token topped the latter, a rare feat for a British rock band. Elsewhere Yungblud and FKA twigs drew significant moments on the genre charts, and Billboard’s Year-End Charts for both touring and recorded music featured contemporary superstars (Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa) and legends (Paul McCartney, Elton John, Iron Maiden).
The narrative around U.K. music, too, has completed its shift from nervous excitement to cocksure confidence. This was encapsulated at 2026 Grammy Awards where Dean’s achieved a stunning coup by bagging the best new artist prize, while Lola Young collected the pop solo performance for her global hit “Messy.” Elsewhere, Oasis’ euphoric reunion tour took British culture around the world as fans joined arm-in-arm to celebrate an emotional reconciliation.
This success explains the evolution of this list, which debuted last year as an expansion of Billboard’s signature Power Players franchise to recognize industry leaders in the United Kingdom. The list honors executives — nominated by their peers and companies and chosen by Billboard’s editors — from selected sectors of the industry: major music groups, labels and distributors, managers, music publishers, streaming companies, the live business, agencies, rights organizations and associations.
This year’s list is even bigger than before, with more executives and companies represented in recognition of those achievements.
However there remain pressing issues in the market: the U.K. government’s approach to AI remains muddled and a workable plan to protect rightsholders is still up in the air; the local grassroots music scene has rallied to provide innovative ways to support to artists and venues, but further intervention is desperately required; ensuring that a career in music is accessible and viable is of great concern. These executives, however, are up for the fight.
In 2026’s U.K. Power Players list, they reflect on the past year, the market’s recent successes and what comes next for the scene. — Thomas Smith, Editor, Billboard U.K.
Major Music Groups
Sony Music Group
Jason Iley, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music U.K. & Ireland
Azi Eftekhari, COO, Sony Music U.K. & Ireland
2026 marked the commencement of Sony Music’s three-year stewardship of The BRIT Awards and Iley says that this year’s ceremony “felt genuinely historic.” Led by RCA’s Stacey Tang, the event moved outside of London for the first time, heading to Manchester’s Co-op Live where Iley feels that the city “rose to the occasion.” A number of Sony-affiliated acts — Harry Styles, Wolf Alice, Rosalía to name a few — featured prominently with knock-out performances. “I couldn’t be prouder of the show delivered on behalf of our artists and the wider music community on a truly global stage,” he adds. “The show and the fringe events around it are building a lasting cultural imprint on the city and reflect our values of collaboration, inclusion and creativity.”
Warner Music Group
Simon Robson, President, EMEA Recorded Music
Priscilla Kotey, Managing director, Warner Music Ireland
2025 saw a major restructure at Warner Music, with Robson stepping into the leadership role following Tony Harlow’s departure after six years at the helm. The move to align the U.K. operations with international infrastructure, Robson says, has “unlocked a new level of firepower for our artists and there’s now a renewed energy in our U.K. teams.” Successes for Charli xcx, PinkPantheress and more in the U.K. and beyond shows that WMG U.K. is “just hitting [its] stride.”
Universal Music Group
Dickon Stainer, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland; Chairman of Global Classics & Jazz and Verve Label Group
Rebecca Allen, Chief artist & strategy officer, Universal Music Group U.K.
Nickie Owen, President, international marketing, Universal Music Group U.K.
Ange Lawrence, Chief people, inclusion & culture officer, Universal Music Group U.K. and Ireland
Adam Barker, Executive vp legal & business affairs, Universal Music Group U.K.
Speaking on their recent achievements, Stainer says that Universal Music Group’s U.K. division is “playing our part in returning British artists to their rightful place at the forefront of the global stage.” He’s not wrong: Olivia Dean, signed to Capitol Records, scooped best new artist at the Grammys in February, and Island’s Lola Young banked best pop solo performance against a tough field for a UMG U.K. double-whammy. Sam Fender, Yungblud, Lewis Capaldi, FLO and more signees are also among the acts to make international gains without compromising their unique identities.
Labels & Distributors
0207 Def Jam
Alec Boateng, President, 0207 Def Jam, Universal Music Group U.K.
0207 Def Jam’s marquee signing Stormzy dropped his first single in almost a year in May 2026, teaming up with Odeal for the party-starting single “24 Hours”. It follows a flurry of activity in early 2025 with the tracks “SORRY RACH!” and “Hold Me Down” alongside a feature with ODUMODUBLVCK later in the year. There’s also been success with other 0207 Def Jam-signed acts such as Nia Smith and Amie Blu, the latter of which recently released the long-teased single “Trees For The Woods.”
ADA
Howard Corner, Managing director U.K. & EMEA, ADA
ADA has played a major role in “redefining how we break U.K. talent globally,” Corner says. He spotlights the “grassroots strategy” behind The K’s sophomore LP Pretty on the Internet, the Merseyside band’s first No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, and the “global-first” mindset that has seen rapper EsDeeKid surpass one billion streams as proof of their methods. “We’ve positioned ADA as the ultimate ‘plug-in’ for labels like LAB Records, Aemeralds, and Lizzy Records, leveraging Warner Music’s EMEA infrastructure to scale independent visions,” Corner says of the recent successes.
Atlantic Records U.K.
Briony Turner, Co-president, Atlantic Records U.K.
Ed Howard, Co-president, Atlantic Records U.K.
Sam Spencer, Executive vp, Atlantic Records U.K.
For the past 12 months, the Atlantic Records U.K. team has continued to throw their weight behind signees Charli xcx and Fred again.., with Turner saying that the latter “has completely reimagined the connection between electronic music and live performance.” Ultimately, “our mission remains to pair British creative ingenuity with unparalleled international scale” and the team has recently inked deals with Barry Can’t Swim and Erin LeCount. “By fostering deep-rooted artist development via our incredibly talented team, we ensure our roster, from our icons to our newest signings, leads the global conversation.”
AWAL U.K.
Matt Riley, President, AWAL U.K.
Sam Potts, Co-managing director, AWAL U.K.
Victoria Needs, Co-managing director, AWAL U.K.
After a standout year for AWAL, Riley points to both scale and strategy behind the company’s momentum. Breakout moments included Djo’s “End Of Beginning” surpassing three billion streams and spending two weeks at No. 1 in the U.K., alongside BRIT-nominated albums from CMAT and Little Simz. “Our mission is to partner with independent artists to tell stories that shape culture,” says Riley. “Operating from London as a global hub, we’re uniquely positioned to bring British, Irish and international creativity to the world stage — driven by the independent, entrepreneurial spirit of our roster and our teams.”
Beggars Group
Martin Mills, Chairman, Beggars Group
Paul Redding, CEO, Beggars Group
Ben Beardsworth, Managing director, XL Recordings
Caius Pawson, Founder, Young
Jeannette Lee, Co-managing director, Rough Trade Records
Ed Horrox, President, 4AD
Alex Keague-Davies, General manager, Matador
The Beggars Group celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2026, having opened the inaugural Beggars Banquet record shop in southwest London in 1976. Mills and the group are celebrating major successes in the past year for Pulp (Rough Trade), Jim Legxacy (XL Recordings), FKA twigs (Young) and more. Beggars also played a major role in the distribution of War Child’s charity LP Help(2), starring contributions from Olivia Rodrigo and Arctic Monkeys, which raised funds for children caught up in conflict zones. In December, Mills announced the formation of the MM Settlement Trust that sees all shares in the Group transfer to the trust “to preserve the company’s independence and help to ensure continuity over future generations, in the interests of both artists and employees.”
Capitol Records U.K.
Jo Charrington, President, Capitol Records U.K.
Olivia Dean’s breakthrough has been one of the British music industry’s finest moments in years. She kicked off the album campaign for The Art of Loving, released via Capitol, in May 2025 and has since bagged two U.K. No. 1 singles (“Man I Need,” “Rein Me In” with Sam Fender), been a mainstay in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, won best new artist at the 2026 Grammys and scooped a haul of four BRIT Awards. She’s currently on a global arena trek which includes six nights at London’s O2 Arena, plus a headline slot at Lollapalooza in Chicago this summer. Her ascent shows no signs of abating.
Columbia Records U.K.
Dipesh Parmar, President, Columbia Records U.K.
Columbia has enjoyed a number of fresh U.K. chart successes over the past year, with Skye Newman standing out. Her breakthrough, Parmar says, has been “extraordinary” and he highlights a number of accomplishments for the rising London pop act, namely that Newman was the first U.K. female solo artist in over a decade to debut in the top 20 of the Official Singles Chart with her first two releases (“Family Matters” and “Hairdresser”); she was subsequently nominated for two awards at the 2026 BRIT Awards: best new artist and best song (“Family Matters”). Newman’s momentum is “reflected across the label, with Columbia most recently holding five of the U.K. top 10 and eight of the top 20 singles.”
Decca Records U.K.
Laura Monks, President, Decca Records U.K.
The past 12 months brought a “new chapter” at Decca with Monks assuming the role of president, a title she previously shared with Tom Lewis (now of UMG U.K.’s Fontana Records). Monks spotlights the label’s release of Max Richter’s “powerful” score for the Oscar-nominated Hamnet, calling the German-British composer “a joy to work with.” She adds: “We are incredibly focused on delivering the best campaigns to amplify the role of music in film.”
EGA Distro
Colin Batsa, Chairman & president, EGA Distro
Charley Snook, Managing director, EGA Distro
EGA Distro’s roster hit a number of highs in the past year, with D-Block Europe landing another top five placement on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart (PTSD 2 placed at No. 4) and their signee Twin S scooping the best drill prize at the 2026 MOBO Awards. Expansion remains a priority, with Batsa promising a new era for the pioneering label as they enter into the “management field by teaming up with one of the world’s biggest promoters, Live Nation,” with the forthcoming launch of EGA Nation. “Watch this space!”
EMPIRE
Guillermo Ramos, Managing director, Europe, EMPIRE
Ted May, Senior vp, international marketing, EMPIRE
EMPIRE’s “strengthened” U.K. team has allowed the label to deepen its expertise and scope over the past 12 months. Ramos says that this proved by the “the calibre of our domestic roster — led by J Hus — while using London as an international hub to sharpen our focus on the U.K. for global priority acts like Bebe Rexha and Shaboozey, as well as our best-in-class African Music roster.” Expanding into new genres, May adds, has seen their capability and ambition scale up: “This is what a modern independent label looks like in 2026.”
Epic Records U.K.
Sarah Lockhart, President, Epic Records U.K.
The fanbase built by grime legend Skepta, Epic Records U.K.’s marquee signing, has had a “generational impact on U.K. artists” while his influence on “creatives is phenomenal,” Lockhart says. Recent accolades at the BRIT Awards, Grammys and MOBO Awards proves that the Londoner’s “music is more vital than ever,” she adds. Fork And Knife, his upcoming album, is receiving its final touches, he recently revealed. “Long may his work continue to inspire Epic’s ethos and to pioneer creative culture,” Lockhart teases.
Fiction Records
Jim Chancellor, Managing director, Fiction Records
Under Chancellor’s leadership, Fiction Records, now part of the Virgin Music Group, has seen “exceptional and exponential growth” over the past year. Recent signings include U.K. indie darlings Man/Woman/Chainsaw and songwriter Tom A. Smith, while the label has also taken on multi-disciplinary artist and former Savages bandleader Jehnny Beth, who released her second solo record You Heartbreaker in August 2025 to critical acclaim. Seeing both Fiction and Virgin “expand their influence all over the world, without losing that personal touch or passion for the music has been so rewarding,” adds Chancellor. “We’re scaling with class.”
Fontana
Tom Lewis, President, Fontana, Universal Music Group U.K.
In 2025, UMG U.K. announced the launch of Fontana Records, a revived imprint dedicated to jazz, folk, blues and soul artists; Lewis, previously of Decca Records, assumed the role of president. “We’re the only label of our kind in the U.K. but our ambitions will always be global, and this is borne out in the international fanbase footprints for all our artists,” he says. TOMORA, a supergroup made up of Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and Norwegian pop star AURORA, issued their debut LP Come Closer via the label in March. Lewis is now looking forward to what comes next: “We’re only six months in and have already unveiled two amazing new signings: the incredible Scottish soul powerhouse Brooke Combe, and Geordie punk jazz trailblazers Knats.”
Island EMI Label Group
Louis Bloom, President, Island EMI Label Group, Universal Music Group U.K.
Bloom says that Island EMI is “passionate about artist development and nurturing new talent” and says that Lola Young’s 2025 breakthrough has been “brilliant to see.” First signed to Island in 2019, Young’s career hit new highs following the release of “Messy” which topped the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart and won the Londoner her first Grammy award (best pop solo performance). Following the release of her second album proper I’m Only F–king Myself, Young earned the breakthrough artist prize at the 2026 BRIT Awards and recently took to the stage as a performer following a brief hiatus. “She is a truly exceptional global talent,” Bloom concludes.
Lola Young performs at TEST Folder for SXSW 2026 during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at The Cool Club on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Nimsi Coronado/SXSW Conference & Festivals
The Orchard
Ian Dutt, President U.K., The Orchard
Chris Manning, Director U.K. and Europe, The Orchard
Richard Pattison, VP, A&R/Label Partnerships, The Orchard
“Clients of The Orchard have reached too many achievements to single any one out,” says Dutt, reflecting on an exceptional 12 months for the Sony-owned company, which supports a diverse roster of U.K. artists and labels through distribution and marketing services. “The fact that we support so many independently minded entrepreneurs on a daily basis still fills me with an enormous sense of pride.” The Orchard’s work on RAYE’s second full-length effort, This Music May Contain Hope., underscores that impact. Upon its release in April, it became the singer’s first U.K. No. 1 album and was followed by an international arena tour.
[PIAS]
Kenny Gates, Executive chairman, [PIAS]
Reflecting over the past year, Gates says that the rapid rise of Geese, whose 2025 LP Getting Killed was distributed by label, proves [PIAS]’ “continued ability to identify and develop globally relevant talent at an early stage.” Similarly, the signing of Massive Attack further strengthened its “reputation as a home for artistically important, artist-led projects,” while Kneecap’s recent LP Fenian landed at No. 2 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Charts. Gates also oversaw “an important leadership evolution at the company” with Edwin Schröter moving to the role of CEO, while Gates assumed the executive chairman title. This move, Gates says, is “designed to position the company for its next phase of international growth while maintaining its longstanding artist-first philosophy and independently minded ethos.”
Polydor Label Group
Ben Mortimer, President, Polydor Label Group, Universal Music Group U.K.
Mortimer is most proud of how Polydor Label Group — which combines Polydor Records, 0207 Def Jam and Capitol Records — has come together as “fully-integrated business at pace,” while simultaneously delivering “global success for artists including Polydor’s Sam Fender and Capitol’s Olivia Dean.” Their collaborative track “Rein Me In” is now the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart longest-reigning male/female No. 1 duet, surpassing Rihanna and Jay Z’s “Umbrella.” At the time of writing, the song has notched 12 non-consecutive weeks at the summit and nabbed song of the year at the 2026 BRIT Awards.
RCA Records U.K.
Glyn Aikins, Co-president of RCA Records U.K.
Stacey Tang, Co-president of RCA Records U.K.
Aikins, who shares the role of co-president with Stacey Tang, says that RCA U.K. has been reshaped into a “truly global A&R engine” that “competes at the highest level while staying rooted in U.K. culture.” Myles Smith, who is due to release his debut album My Mess, My Heart, My Life, in June is proof of that mission. Tang concurs, adding that JADE, Bring Me The Horizon and Smith “reflect ambition, commitment to artistry and creative bravery that build genuinely meaningful relationships with fans.” 2026 also saw Tang act as the chair for the BRIT Awards, and “working with British talent that connects powerfully across the globe is a theme that was key” to this year’s ceremony.
Rubyworks
Niall Muckian, Founder and managing director, Rubyworks
Rubyworks once again toasted the success of Hozier — who penned his first deal with the Irish indie label and artist management company back in 2013 — after he equaled his fellow countrymen U2’s six consecutive number one singles on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart. While they await the next major release from the County Wicklow singer-songwriter, Rubyworks founder and MD Muckian is keen to highlight the label’s upcoming “landmark” tribute album to the late Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan. Featuring contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Primal Scream and Tom Waits, it has also seen the label call upon Hozier for a promising collaboration with Oscar winner Jessie Buckley. “In keeping with MacGowan’s long-standing values,” Muckian adds, “50% of artist royalties from the project are being donated to the Dublin Simon Community to support those experiencing homelessness.”
Secretly Group
Matthew Fogg, Director of promotions, Secretly Group
Ali Murphy, International marketing director, Secretly Group
Adam Nealon, Senior director of A&R, Secretly Group
Will Edge, Director of projects U.K./EU, Secretly Group
Kristian Downs, Head of digital operations, Secretly Distribution
Tom Davies, Director, Global marketing & campaigns, Secretly Distribution
“As the industry becomes more consolidated and increasingly shaped by opaque systems, we’ve made a deliberate choice to invest in tools that give our labels clarity, control and a real competitive edge,” says Downs, pointing to Secretly’s growing focus on infrastructure as it continues to scale its independent ecosystem. That investment runs alongside a strong year for the group’s U.K. team across promotions and A&R, with Edge highlighting standout results for Mitski and Bon Iver, with the latter securing their highest-charting album in nearly a decade. “A big focus for us has been how those campaigns are built, thinking beyond release week so records have room to grow,” he adds.
SoundOn
Nichal Sethi, Managing director SoundOn EMEA, TikTok / SoundOn
Following its launch in 2022, Sethi describes the previous calendar year as a breakout period for the team in the U.K. In 2025, SoundOn earned six Top 40 placings on the Official Singles Chart, with WizTheMc’s “Show Me Love” peaking at No. 3 and breaking into the top 20 of Spotify’s Global Charts. Working with indie artists such as Denon Reed, Tkandz and HAVEN, and labels including AAO, Jinx and Broke Records, Sethi says, proves that SoundOn can elevate artists no matter “how early on or developed they are in their career” by “leveraging our expertise on TikTok, the No. 1 platform in the world for music discovery and promotion.”
Universal Music Recordings
Hannah Neaves, President, Universal Music Recordings, Universal Music Group U.K.
Universal Music Recordings, the label responsible for elevating the catalogue of UMG U.K.’s iconic catalogue, is bringing “a wealth of new audiences to our legendary artists” with innovative marketing strategies, synchs and more. Neaves says that UMR’s “brilliantly creative team” are putting a spotlight on works by The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley, Elton John, The Spice Girls and The Rolling Stones throughout the year, with the latter looking to earn their 15th UK. No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart with new LP Foreign Tongues.
Virgin Music Group
Nick Roden, President, Europe, Virgin Music Group
Vanessa Bosåen, President, U.K., Virgin Music Group
Liz Northeast, Senior vp, EMEA, FUGA
Tom Allen, Chief technology officer, Downtown
Virgin Media Group announced its acquisition of Downtown back in February, with the latter’s portfolio including FUGA, the largest full-service B2B music distributor in the world. The move typified why VMG is such “an exhilarating place to be,” as Bosåen describes it. “The breadth of services and expertise we’re now able to offer to our partners feels genuinely special,” she adds. “Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible music, visionary artists and ambitious entrepreneurs, all pushing boundaries in their own way. What’s most exciting is that we’re only just getting started.”
Warner Records & Parlophone Label Group
Joe Kentish, President, Warner Records Label Group U.K.
Alex Burford, Managing director, Warner Records U.K.
Jennifer Ivory, Managing director, Parlophone
The success for PinkPantheress has been a “standout highlight” for the Warner Records U.K. team over the past 12 months. In March 2026, “Stateside” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Global 200 and reached the summit of the Global Spotify Chart, which Kentish considered a “landmark moment” for the team. Pink also made history by becoming the first woman — and youngest ever artist — to win BRIT Awards’ producer of the year prize. “Her success proves that when you back an artist’s authentic vision, there are no limits to how far that sound can travel.”
PinkPantheress performs at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival – Weekend 1 – Day 2 on April 11, 2026 in Indio, California.
Katie Flores/Billboard
Multisector
Believe/TuneCore
Alex Kennedy, Managing director, U.K., Northern Europe & AUS/NZ, Believe
Sarah Wilson, Head of TuneCore, U.K. & Ireland, AUS/NZ, TuneCore
Kennedy says the past year saw his team “play an important role” in supporting the French company’s global strategy, which included the launches of Believe Music Publishing and its label and artist services business in the United States. He points to the “huge global success” of Adekunle Gold, viral success of Novo Amor and a U.K. top 10 album for Craig David as recent highlights. “We’ve continued to attract outstanding new talent, both emerging and established, while also helping the artists and labels we work with achieve meaningful growth and tangible success,” he adds, crediting Wilson’s leadership with making TuneCore an “integral and effective partner for artists at all levels.”
BMG
Alistair Norbury, President, U.K., continental Europe & APAC, BMG
Jamie Nelson, Senior vp, new recordings, U.K., BMG
Lisa Cullington, vp, creative, publishing, BMG
Reflecting on a transformative year, Norbury notes that BMG’s move into a new Pimlico office — plus a brand identity refresh — has been “a real step forward for the London team.” The new office space houses three recording studios, allowing for artists signed to the combined music publisher and record label to create and collaborate on-site. BMG also saw standout success with Lily Allen’s zeitgeist-shifting West End Girl LP, which arrived via a surprise drop, or as Norbury puts it, “a more unconventional and discreet approach.” He adds: “It reflects how we operate: artist-first and built around what the music needs.”
Reservoir/Blue Raincoat Music
Jeremy Lascelles, CEO/co-founder, Blue Raincoat Music; CEO, Chrysalis Records
Alison Wenham, COO, Blue Raincoat Music; COO, Chrysalis Records
Annette Barrett, Managing director and global strategic liaison, Reservoir
The past 12 months marked “another year of strong momentum” for Blue Raincoat Music, part of the Reservoir group, with “successes and growth across each division of our integrated business,” says Lascelles. Highlights from the firm’s artist management arm included Tony Berg’s production work on Sombr’s breakout debut I Barely Know Her, alongside the conclusion of Cigarettes After Sex’s sold‑out arena world tour. On the publishing side, there were new deals with Brendan Benson and the estates of Nick and Molly Drake, while Chrysalis Records added Hiss Golden Messenger to its frontline label roster, joining Laura Marling, Nadia Read and Bodega.
YUNGBLUD with the Grammy for Best Rock Performance for “Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back To The Beginning” at the 68th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner/Billboard
Management
Charli xcx Management
Brandon Creed, Founder and CEO, Good World Management
Sam Pringle, Partner, Project Gold
Twiggy Rowley, Partner, Project Gold
Beyond her ability to capture the zeitgeist, Charli xcx’s management team has played a major part in her success in recent years. Life after Brat, her 2024 LP is looking strong already with her Wuthering Heights soundtrack LP hitting No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, and two new singles (“Rock Music” and “SS26”) ensuring she remains a defining force in pop. Alongside his colleagues Sam Pringle and Twiggy Rowley at Project Gold, Creed has played a key role in supporting that trajectory, helping solidify Charli’s position as one of the most influential U.K. artists on the world stage. “The U.K has been a second home to me throughout my career,” he says. “Its musical culture is genuinely unmatched in its ability to shape global taste.”
Coldplay Management
Phil Harvey, manager
Arlene Moon, manager
Mandi Frost, manager
There aren’t many things that qualify as new experiences for Coldplay these days, but their debut performances in India in 2025 won’t be something they’ll forget in a hurry. The four-piece played to over 110,000 fans on consecutive nights at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat — two of the largest stadium shows to have taken place this century. While ticking a new country off their list may have been something of a novelty to the well-travelled Chris Martin-led band, setting new standards is essentially what Coldplay do now for fun. A majestic 10-night run at Wembley Stadium rounded off the latest leg of their mammoth Music of the Spheres tour (taking their total number of Wembley gigs on this tour to a record-breaking 16), with total ticket sales surpassing 13 million, officially the highest-attended tour in music history.
Day One Music
Nick Shymansky, Founder, Day One Music
“Watching Lola [Young] perform and win at the Grammys is a moment I will cherish forever,” says Shymansky. “Knowing everything we all went through to get there made it mean that much more, and it was a reminder of what’s possible when you back someone all the way.” Young’s longtime manager has guided the London songwriter to the mainstream, landing a global smash with “Messy.” The growing Day One Music roster includes Sofia & The Antoinettes, Not Billy, Kid 12, Avi Barath and Manuka, rising stars with “one-off talent, complexity, and a vision worth fighting for.”
Extended Play
Paul Jeboda, Artist manager, Extended Play
Eric Parker, Artist manager, Extended Play
Parker and Jeboda form the management team behind Luton-raised songwriter Myles Smith, one of British music’s most remarkable success stories in recent years. The 27-year-old’s folk-pop anthem “Stargazing” has surpassed a billion streams and hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart twice, while Smith has sold out a U.K. & Ireland arena tour ahead of the June release of his debut LP, My Mess, My Heart, My Life. These milestones are “a reflection of the trust he’s built with his audience, and the work we’ve done as a team,” Parker affirms.
Myles Smith performs onstage at iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2025 Presented by Capital One held at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2025 in New York, New York.
John Nacion/Billboard
Future History
Ryan Richards, CEO and artist manager, Future History Management
2025 was a banner year for Future History and its expanding roster of rock acts. British metalcore phenomenon Sleep Token crowned its nearly decade-long rise with a No. 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic, while Those Damn Crows celebrated its first U.K. No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart. “Both were very different campaigns in their approach and execution, so to see both result in entries of the summit of the charts was a great feeling,” says Richards. In December, the firm appointed Jameson Roper as partner and president of U.S. operations, adding Bilmuri and Wage War to its client list.
Gaiety Management
Caroline Downey, Artist manager, Gaiety Management
Downey has overseen a standout 12 months for Hozier, anchored by the continued rollout of his Unreal Unearth campaign, which over the past few years has featured a Billboard Hot 100-topping hit in the form of “Too Sweet” and powered the Irish act to feature on Billboard’s Year-End artist charts in 2025. Alongside a headline slot at Reading & Leeds Festival, the 36-year-old sold out shows in cities across North America, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and the U.K., with cumulative attendance surpassing seven figures. This increased touring demand has reinforced Hozier’s position as a leading international live act under Gaiety’s management and artist development strategy.
Grumpy Old Management
Stuart Camp, Manager (Ed Sheeran), Grumpy Old Management
In the past year, Grumpy Old Management — who represent Ed Sheeran, alongside ascendant pop star Maisie Peters — has focused on expanding its operations in order to “better support our artists across all aspects of their careers,” says Camp. Sheeran’s Play LP became his ninth U.K. No. 1 album last September, while the global superstar is currently in the midst of his all-new Loop tour, hitting stadiums across North America. For the rest of 2026, Grumpy will lead the debut campaigns of U.K. rock-pop vocalist Dylan and German songwriter Sebastian Schub, two acts that Camp and his team are “really excited about.”
Maverick
Scott Rodger, Manager (Paul McCartney), Maverick
In the past 18 months, Maverick — the management company behind Paul McCartney, Shania Twain and more — has “focused on building meaningful, long-term projects around our artists that extend beyond traditional release cycles,” says Rodger. McCartney’s upcoming record The Boys Of Dungeon Lane “captures rare and revealing glimpses into previously untold memories, alongside a set of newly inspired love songs,” and was preceded by the Paul McCartney: Man on the Run documentary and multiple merchandise lines. Twain, meanwhile, is set for “a major return to the stage”, including joining Harry Styles for a 12-night run at Wembley Stadium.
Oasis Management
Marcus Russell, Partner, Ignition Management
Alec McKinlay, Partner, Ignition Management
Debbie Gwyther, Director, Fear
Sam Eldridge, Founder and president, UROK
“Oasis Live ’25 was a privilege to be a part of,” reflect Russell, McKinlay, Gwyther and Eldridge, the four principal managers behind last year’s triumphant reunion tour, in a joint statement. More than 10 million fans from 158 countries tried to buy tickets for the band’s initial run of U.K. and Ireland stadium shows, launching a sold out 41-date world trek. The management team said they “worked tirelessly together” to fulfill the Gallagher brothers’ “unwavering desire and dedication to create an unforgettable and communal night for all the fans who had waited so long for this moment.” A documentary film of the tour will be released in cinemas in September.
Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher of Oasis perform onstage at the Oasis Live ’25 World Tour held at the Rose Bowl on September 07, 2025 in Pasadena, California.
Rich Polk/Variety
Phantom Music Management
Rod Smallwood, CEO, Phantom Music Management
“The past 18 months of Iron Maiden have been extremely successful, and busy!” says longtime manager Smallwood. More than 1.5 million fans attended the heavy metal band’s 50th anniversary Run for Your Lives World Tour, which grossed over $150 million in 2025. The trek continues through Europe, North and South America, Australia and Japan this year, and will also see the group hold its own EddFest weekend in the United Kingdom in July. Smallwood says his team’s “multi-pronged” strategy, which includes a recently-released documentary film, “enabled us to cement Iron Maiden’s truly global cultural status.” In November, the band will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles.
Radical Management
Dukagjin Lipa, Managing director, Radical22 Management
After taking over the management reins for his pop superstar daughter, Dua, in 2022, Dukagjin Lipa and his team have worked to expand the 30-year-old’s business endeavours, developing her debut skincare brand and newsletter Service95, alongside brand partnerships. December 2025 saw the culmination of Dua’s blockbuster Radical Optimism world tour, spanning 92 sold-out gigs in 41 cities across four legs, which landed on Billboard’s Year-End Top Tours charts. “I’m infinitely proud of the team for delivering a world class show every night,” says Lipa, adding that the touring party had access to a welfare officer, a psychotherapist, a yoga instructor and a physiotherapist along the way. “It’s been a fantastic year,” he adds.
Rocket Entertainment
David Furnish, CEO, Rocket Entertainment
Rachael Paley, Marketing and promotions director/artist manager, Rocket Entertainment
Elton John had two albums top the Official Albums Chart in 2025 with greatest hits collection Diamonds and acclaimed collaboration with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes In Angels?, giving the legendary artist his ninth and 10th U.K. No. 1 albums, respectively. Last year also saw John and Furnish honored with the Creators’ Champion Award at Billboard’s Global Power Players event in London in recognition of their work defending artists’ rights. “We are so lucky to work with an artist who is as passionate, engaged and relentlessly future facing as Elton,” his manager and husband says. “He never rests on his laurels: creating, writing, recording, lobbying [the] government, championing the next generation of artists [and] helming his AIDS Foundation.”
Yo&Co Management
Emily Braham, Managing director, Yo&Co Management
Braham has played a pivotal role in British pop star Olivia Dean’s continued ascent, overseeing a campaign that evolved from intimate venues to arenas while preserving a strong artist-first philosophy. “I am so proud of how our entire team has handled the scaling of the project, whilst maintaining our core ethos and capacity for support and kindness,” she says. Central to that growth has been a live show defined by “elegance and grace,” supported by a touring operation built on care and precision. The result is a fan experience rooted in “understanding, growth and connection” — a team effort Braham credits with immense pride.
Sam Fender at Terminal 5 on September 19, 2025 in New York, New York.
Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone
Publishing
Concord Music Publishing
Kim Frankiewicz, Executive vp international A&R, Concord Music Publishing
Tom Coulson-Smith, vp A&R, Concord Music Publishing
“This year has really validated our long-term approach: building a highly curated roster of songwriters and producers who can operate at the very top of the market while also helping to shape the next wave of talent coming out of the U.K.,” says Frankiewicz. Since the start of 2025, Concord writers have featured on 12 No. 1 albums in the United Kingdom, including Biffy Clyro’s Futique and Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving. Coulson-Smith was promoted to his role in July to focus on developing new artists in the U.K. and globally. “Next generation” signings like Jacob Alon and Divorce “reflect the depth and future-oriented nature of the roster,” says Frankiewicz.
Kobalt Music
Kenny McGoff, Executive head of creative U.K. and GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), Kobalt Music
McGoff’s team has had plenty to celebrate over the past 12 months. In February, Kobalt-signed Sam Fender picked up two BRIT Awards, adding to the Mercury Prize he won in October for People Watching, the biggest new British album release of 2025 with more than 278,000 chart sales, according to the Official Charts Company. Other standout achievements include a U.K. No. 1 for MK (“Dior”) and top five placement Bolton-based DJ Chrystal, in addition to streaming successes for The Last Dinner Party, South Arcade and Soft Play. McGoff praises his U.K. staff for reaching “another level” on behalf of Kobalt’s songwriters. He adds: “The care and passion for each other in helping achieve our goals is something that inspires me every day.”
Sony Music Publishing
David Ventura, President & co-managing director, U.K. and Senior vp international at Sony Music Publishing
Tim Major, President & co-managing director, U.K., Sony Music Publishing
With the likes of Olivia Dean, Lola Young and Yungblud populating their talented roster, Sony Music Publishing (SMP) have been able to toast win after win after win over the past 18 months. Case in point: Dean’s multiple triumphs at the 2026 BRIT Awards, as well as her statement victory in the coveted best new artist category at the 2026 Grammys. “It feels like an amazing time for British music,” says Ventura. “All of the many SMP U.K. songwriters who achieved international success this year have, of course, come as a result of their hard work, dedication and creativity. We’re very proud to represent them and elevate their music.”
Universal Music Publishing
David Gray, Managing director, U.K. and head of global A&R, Universal Music Publishing Group
Jane Carter, President, Universal Production Music
Under Gray’s stewardship, the U.K. arm of Universal Music Publishing Group continues to push forward with Beabadoobee, Wraith9 and in-demand Olivia Dean producer Zach Nahome among its standout recent signings. Carter heads the publisher’s production music division and is a passionate advocate for equality and sustainability in the industry. Among her proudest achievements are the 100% HER program — which has led to more than 800 female composers joining the company’s roster — and the Green Production Music scheme generating a catalog of over 1,000 eco-friendly tracks. “Together,” says Carter, “these initiatives are shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future for production music.”
Natasha Baldwin, President, Global Classics, Jazz & Screen, Universal Music Group & Universal Music Publishing Group
Baldwin, who first joined Universal Music Group in 2016 to launch Decca Publishing, continues to elevate the global profile of classical, jazz and screen music through her leadership. This year, she oversaw the international success of Max Richter’s Academy Award-nominated Hamnet score, with the campaign culminating in a live performance at London’s iconic Southwark Cathedral. Baldwin has also expanded Universal Music Publishing Group’s roster with signings including Oneohtrix Point Never, Jerskin Fendrix, and Yu-Peng Chen, allowing the publishing company to further broaden its reach across film, gaming, and contemporary composition.
Warner Chappell Publishing
Shani Gonzales, Managing director, Warner Chappell Music U.K. & Head of international A&R
Gonzales says that Warner Chappell’s mission “has been to cultivate a creative hub for boundary-pushing songwriters and producers” and that recent signings Charlie Jeer, cktrl, GRADES, and Moliy “are actively shaping the future of the U.K. music scene.” For the present? RAYE, of course, who Gonzalez says was “central to [Warner Chappell’s] year,” adding that the Londoner’s rise is “a masterclass in what happens when world-class songwriting meets unwavering ambition.” He concludes, “by bridging our local expertise with Chappell’s international A&R network, we ensure our writers, from those just starting out to those topping global charts, turn their creativity into lasting cultural impact.”
Raye performs onstage at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at Dolby Theatre on March 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner/Billboard
Streaming
Amazon Music U.K.
Laura Lukanz, Head of music industry, Amazon Music U.K.
“The team has delivered some outstanding campaigns over the last 12 months, but this past Christmas was a landmark moment for Amazon Music in the U.K.” Lukanz says. A collaboration with Kylie Minogue delivered a No. 1 album with Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped) and the U.K.’s Official Christmas No. 1 Single with the Amazon Original “XMAS,” a first for the platform. The wider fan-focused strategy has seen Amazon Music work across major releases from Oasis, Lola Young, Little Simz and Ed Sheeran, while strengthening its foothold in the highly competitive Christmas window. “What makes me most proud goes beyond the chart success,” she adds, citing the “creativity, dedication and ambition” behind the Kylie rollout.
Apple Music
Sam Benjamins, Head of Apple Music, U.K. & Ireland
“There’s enormous potential to redefine how music platforms serve both creators and listeners,” says Benjamins, pointing to Apple Music’s continued focus on artist-first strategy in an increasingly algorithm-driven landscape. Since stepping into the role, Benjamins has prioritized deeper artist engagement, from supporting emerging talent through Apple Music Radio shows like Elton John’s Rocket Hour to championing homegrown artists including Olivia Dean and Skye Newman. He also highlights innovations such as the platform’s DJ Mix capability, which enables high-quality spatial audio while compensating all contributors, alongside dedicated experiences like the Classical app. “We believe human curation creates deeper, more meaningful connections between artists and fans,” he adds.
Spotify
Safiya Lambie-Knight, Head of music partnerships, northern Europe, Spotify
Andy Sloan-Vincent, Head of music, Europe, Spotify
Reflecting on the past year, Lambie-Knight spotlights having “the privilege of working with so many incredible artists who are shaping music culture locally and also making a significant impact on the global stage.” She notes that “that pipeline of exceptional talent shows no sign of slowing down,” as Spotify continues to operate across both fan discovery and scale. Sloan-Vincent, meanwhile, frames its the streaming platform’s impact more broadly, citing a “return to confidence” in the U.K. market, with breakthrough artists such as Olivia Dean, Lola Young and RAYE winning major accolades at the Grammys and BRITs, as the platform maintains its position as a leading global retailer.
YouTube
Lizzie Dickson, Head of Music U.K., YouTube
“After spending the last 18 months celebrating 20 years of YouTube,” Dickson says, she’s most “proud of the $8 billion we pay out to the music industry” and the cultural impact the platform has on U.K. music culture. That reach extends across formats, from official music videos by artists like Dave, Olivia Dean and PinkPantheress to culture-defining DJ sets such as Fred again.. and Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, as well as live sessions like RAYE’s Abbey Road performance. Dickson highlights how YouTube has also amplified major cultural moments, including the BRITs, positioning the platform as a central hub for both discovery and engagement. “Our platform continues to be a rabbit hole for global music fans to fall into,” she adds, underlining its role in connecting artists and audiences worldwide.
Fred again.. at East End Studios on January 16, 2026 in New York, New York.
Sacha Lecca/Rolling Stone
Live
AEG
Jim King, CEO, AEG Presents U.K. and European Festivals, AEG Presents
Steve Homer, President, U.K. Touring, AEG Presents
Adam Wilkes, President & CEO, AEG Presents Europe & Asia Pacific, AEG Presents
The renowned concert promoter and festival producer assembled a formidable line-up for the 2025 edition of their ever-popular BST Hyde Park series. Sabrina Carpenter and Zach Bryan each headlined two nights in the central London park, while standout shows also came from fellow bill-toppers Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Noah Kahan. AEG also enjoyed a record-breaking year across their European operations, driven by their premier London venue The O2 hosting 239 arena performances (a 19% increase on 2024) and selling over 2.9 million tickets in 2025 — an impressive 11.5% increase on the previous year.
DF Concerts
Geoff Ellis, CEO, DF Concerts
Ellis took a fond trip down memory lane in 2025. “Back in 1993, an unknown band called Oasis turned up at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow asking to play that night,” he recalls about the DF Concerts-owned venue’s place in Britpop history. “To find ourselves in February 2025 celebrating 35 years of the venue while co-promoting three nights of Oasis at Murrayfield Stadium genuinely felt like a full circle moment.” Such moments, Ellis adds, “make this job so meaningful”. Recently, DF have formed strong relationships with the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Olivia Dean and Charli xcx, and Ellis remains steadfast in his belief that the live ecosystem continues to rely on a mix of “grassroots venues, faith in new artists and fans who show up early in an artist’s career”.
Festival Republic
Melvin Benn, Managing director, Festival Republic
Headline sets from Chappell Roan, Sting, Bring Me The Horizon and Basement Jaxx helped deliver another successful summer season for Live Nation-owned Festival Republic in 2025. This year looks set to be just as busy with the new Americana-inspired festival State Fayre and return of Lovebox enhancing the firm’s U.K. portfolio, which also includes Latitude, Wilderness, Electric Picnic, and Reading and Leeds. Festival Republic’s Wireless festival, however, was canceled following backlash to Benn’s controversial decision to book Kanye West as a headliner for the festival.
Live Nation
Denis Desmond, Chairman, U.K. & Ireland, Live Nation
Phil Bowdery, Executive vp of international touring, Live Nation U.K.
Desmond described 2025 as a record-breaking year for Live Nation in the U.K. “with over 20 million tickets sold including 70 stadium shows.” Oasis’ Live ‘25 comeback and Black Sabbath’s farewell concert were among the standout moments for him, at both of which it was “wonderful to see happy fans of all generations enjoying themselves.” Bowdery has enjoyed the responsibility of promoting tours by Harry Styles and Dua Lipa, as well as international names such as Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen. “Across both established and emerging artists,” he concludes, “my focus remains on doing the work well and continuing to raise the bar.”
Marshall Arts
Barrie Marshall, Chairman and managing director, Marshall Arts
For Marshall, “relationships are the foundation of everything we do” at Marshall Arts. The company’s chairman says he feels “incredibly privileged to maintain longstanding partnerships” with the likes of P!nk, Lionel Richie and Paul McCartney, who landed on Billboard’s Year-End Touring charts in 2025. That personal connection with musicians, he adds, also remains a crucial component of the live music experience in what is a “complex and shifting period” for the medium. “In a world filled with technology and endless entertainment options, live music is still the only thing that feels truly authentic,” he says. “The connection between the artist and the audience is something special, something you can’t replicate.”
Oak View Group
Gary Hutchinson, Executive vp, Global Touring & Content, Oak View Group
Frequently delivering “exceptional commercial results and unforgettable cultural moments” through its comprehensive live music offerings, OVG — along with Hutchinson’s other majorly influential venture, Chrysalis Leisure Management — is now firmly among the U.K. live industry’s elite. 2025 cemented this lofty standing, with Beyoncé’s six‑night Cowboy Carter residency at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning farewell show at Villa Park (the highest‑grossing charity concert in U.K. history, raising £140m) just two prominent examples. OVG’s slate this year includes huge stadium shows across the U.K, from Bad Bunny, Zach Bryan, Foo Fighters and the returning BTS.
SJM Concerts
Simon Moran, CEO, SJM Concerts
Even by their normally prolific standards, SJM had a very busy 2025. Among their promotion of 2,440 live shows in the U.K. was Coldplay’s record-breaking 10-night residency at Wembley Stadium, Oasis’ 17-date reunion tour (in partnership with Live Nation) and Sam Fender’s biggest headline show to date at the London Stadium (82,500 tickets sold). SJM also presented Radiohead’s four-show residency at The O2 (marking the band’s first U.K. gigs since 2017) and brought the likes of Lorde, Wolf Alice and Gracie Abrams to venues across the country. 2026 will see the promoter running outdoor shows by the likes of Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance and Take That.
Chris Martin performs at the Coldplay concert held t Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 07, 2024 in New York, New York.
Griffin Lotz/Rolling Stone
Agencies
CAA
Emma Banks, Co-head of global touring, CAA
Mike Greek, Co-head of international touring, CAA
“Over the past 18 months, the live music landscape has been defined by the undeniable dominance of female artists reshaping the arena business and setting a new standard for global success,” says Greek. CAA’s roster includes many of the current leading lights, having booked and supported big-ticket tours for Olivia Dean, Lorde, Kylie Minogue, Florence + The Machine, Katy Perry, Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, Ariana Grande and more. As the likes of Lily Allen and Zara Larsson also hit new career highs by jumping from theatres to arenas, Greek states that CAA “is proud to support and amplify this extraordinary wave of talent as they command stages worldwide.”
Primary Talent International
Matt Bates, CEO and managing partner, Primary Talent International
“It’s a proud moment at Primary Talent International,” says Bates. In 2026, the music booking agency is celebrating 35 years as an independent entity, with a roster that spans artists like The Cure, Wolf Alice, and Kings Of Leon alongside Mitski, Kneecap, and Ethel Cain, all of which have delivered defining moments on U.K. festival stages in recent years. “We’ve worked hard to connect our clients with U.K. fans in ways that are genuinely meaningful,” continues Bates, adding that the “breadth and vitality” of the company’s roster speaks to “the enduring appetite of U.K. and European audiences for bold, authentic music.”
Solo Music Agency
John Giddings, Music agent, promoter and founder, Solo Music Agency
Giddings has continued to demonstrate his influence across the U.K. live sector, driving standout moments that cut through a competitive global market. Recent highlights include reforming the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter as frontman, delivering another sold-out Isle of Wight Festival, and arranging a surprise collaboration between actress Rebel Wilson and The Kooks at Reading Festival 2025 — an unexpected crossover that generated social media buzz. Performers at the 2026 Isle of Wight Festival include headliners Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris and The Cure, alongside Wet Leg and Teddy Swims.
THE·TEAM
Alex Hardee, Executive vp & managing executive, THE·TEAM
Tom Schroeder, Executive vp & managing executive, THE·TEAM
James Whitting, Executive vp & managing executive, THE·TEAM
“The last year has been a period of real momentum and investment across THE·TEAM’s business in the U.K.,” says Schroeder, reflecting on a major period of expansion. Nearly 700 colleagues across music, brands and sports have been brought together under one roof, strengthening collaboration and artist services. The music division has grown with key agent hires including Paul Ryan, Ishsha Bourguet and Belinda Law, alongside promotions for Lucy Putman and India Lawson. The company has also launched a podcast division and scaled its global tour marketing, supporting a roster that includes Lewis Capaldi, Fred again.., and RAYE.
UTA
Neil Warnock, Co-head U.K. music and Global head of touring, UTA
Warnock has been instrumental in strengthening UTA’s touring business, overseeing a period of significant international expansion for the agency’s roster. Working closely with his team, he has helped drive a sustained run of global touring activity for artists including Bad Bunny, Rosalía, David Byrne and Sammy Virji, proving that “London can be a true launchpad for worldwide live careers,” he says. The achievement that “means most to me personally,” he continues, is seeing James Wright and Jules de Lattre become partners at UTA. “It’s recognition not just of their skills as first‑class agents, but of the thoughtful, trusted leaders they’ve grown into at UTA.”
WME
Josh Javor, Partner and head of London music, WME
Luton-raised Myles Smith’s forthcoming arena tour “is off to a flying start,” says Javor, with nine sold-out dates across the U.K. and Ireland for November 2026, including a night at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in London. For the international booking agent, another recent highlight has been Coldplay performing a massive 10-night run at Wembley Stadium last summer, which saw the band continue to push the benchmark for sustainable touring — from cutting emissions and scaling renewable energy use to incentivising low-impact travel for fans — proving that even the largest shows can be delivered with a reduced environmental footprint.
Lewis Capaldi
Lane Dorsey/Billboard U.K.
Rights Organizations
PPL
Peter Leathem OBE, CEO, PPL
“At PPL, our focus is on maximizing value for our members and ensuring they are fairly rewarded for their work,” says Peter Leathem, pointing to a year of strong financial performance for the organization. In 2025, PPL collected £315.3 million and paid over 182,000 performers and recording rightsholders, with international revenues rising 16% year-on-year to £94 million. The milestone also marks 20 years of its international business, which has now delivered more than £1 billion in revenue. Leathem highlights the organization’s global reach, with 117 agreements across 55 countries, alongside new artist mandates including Mariah Carey and Charli xcx. “These strong financial results demonstrate the momentum we have built,” he adds, reinforcing PPL’s ambition to be “the first choice globally for neighboring rights.”
PRS For Music
Andrea Czapary Martin, CEO, PRS For Music
“One real standout for me was the introduction of monthly payments for online streaming, giving songwriters and composers faster access to earnings and clearer insights into how their works are performing,” says Czapary Martin, highlighting how PRS For Music is adapting to the speed of today’s creator economy. The change marks a move toward more frequent and transparent royalty distributions for members. She also points to the continued strength of the live sector, with U.K. revenues surpassing £100 million for the first time, as more than 37,600 members, including a quarter of all first-time earners, were paid for performances last year.
Ed Sheeran performs onstage at iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2025 Presented by Capital One held at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2025 in New York, New York.
John Nacion/Billboard
Associations
Association of Independent Music (AIM)
Gee Davy, CEO, Association of Independent Music (AIM)
Now in its 28th year, AIM remains a tireless champion of independent music labels and businesses in the U.K., ensuring the sector “continues to exist and grow on its own terms,” Davy says. Recent wins for the not-for-profit organization’s 1,000-plus members, which features Because, Beggars Group and Domino, include the U.K. government abandoning its plans to allow AI companies to use copyrighted works without permission, following strong opposition from across the industry. “We are not just defending independence against external pressures,” adds Davy. “But defining the rules, values and conditions under which the U.K.’s independent music sector is evolving in the age of platform power and AI.”
Black Lives in Music
Dr. Charisse Beaumont, CEO, Black Lives in Music
“We remain focused on turning insight into action,” Dr. Beaumont says about Black Lives in Music’s mission to “push forward meaningful, structural change” across the music industry. From advancing their ongoing work providing equitable access and representation for Black and Global Majority music creators to delivering research that informs change at government level, the organization is continuing to make purposeful strides forward in combating systemic racism in the industry. Keep an eye out, Dr. Beaumont adds, for two upcoming projects from BLiM: Race Equality in Music Events Licensing and EquiTrack, “a solution-driven technology platform designed to support organizations in meeting their anti-racist, social equity and social value commitments”.
BPI
Dr. Jo Twist, CEO, BPI
“It’s been a very busy but incredibly rewarding 12 months, and our brilliant team has been firing on all cylinders,” says Twist, who has been at the helm of the U.K. record labels association since summer 2023. “There’s a lot to be proud of.” Both The BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize have moved outside of London in the past year — to Manchester and Newcastle respectively — which were accompanied by BPI-curated Fringe events that drove local investment. Other key initiatives have included the Music Export Growth Scheme, the British Music Embassy at SXSW, and the LA Sync Mission.
The Ivors Academy
Roberto Neri, CEO, The Ivors Academy
“Songwriters and composers are the most valuable people in music — everything is built on their creativity,” says Neri, framing The Ivors Academy’s continued push to centre creators in industry conversations. Over the past year, that has translated into tangible gains, including securing session per diems for songwriters and expanding the Academy’s footprint in Ireland. Neri also points to ongoing advocacy around fairer contracts and remuneration, particularly as AI reshapes the business. “There is no music industry without music creators,” he adds, “and the future of our business depends on protecting their livelihoods.”
LIVE
Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE & LIVE Trust
The “central aim” of the pioneering LIVE Trust, says Collins, “is to provide a consistent and respected voice for U.K. live music with policymakers at a national, regional and local level.” Set up by the British live music industry to support the country’s grassroots music scene, it raises money mainly through a voluntary £1 contribution from tickets sold at big-ticket stadium shows; that funding is then distributed to help small venues. In the last 18 months, the LIVE Trust has “gone from a simple idea to a multi-million pound charity”, with major pledges from the likes of Harry Styles, Olivia Dean and Sam Fender.
Harry Styles at The BRIT Awards 2026 held at Co-op Live on Feb. 28, 2026, in Manchester, England.
Zak Hussein/Billboard
Merlin
Charlie Lexton, CEO, Merlin
Appointed CEO at Merlin back in January, Lexton is keen to highlight the digital rights agency’s “significant” partnerships with AI firms like ElevenLabs and Udio. Demonstrating that commercial agreements can be reached between such companies and music rightsholders, Merlin remains open “to doing business with partners who respect copyright,” Lexton states. Placing the interests of rightsholders at the heart of these deals (artists and labels must have “the ability to control the use of their intellectual property”), Merlin’s approach feels refreshing amid the lingering uncertainty over AI’s presence in the creative industries. “Not only have we found great partners,” Lexton adds, “we have demonstrated that it is possible for AI companies to build music products without looking for exceptions to existing legal frameworks.”
Music Managers Forum
Annabella Coldrick, CEO, Music Managers Forum
With over 1,200 members in the U.K. and spearheaded by an all-female leadership team, the Music Managers Forum works to “drive a greater understanding of the vital work that managers deliver on a day-to-day basis,” explains Coldrick. In pursuit of a “fairer, more transparent” music industry, the MMF have dedicated efforts to a “concerted push on professional development” for its members, something that Coldrick says is best encapsulated by the Accelerator programme developed in partnership with YouTube Music. “The impact has been astonishing,” she notes, Coldrick, adding that it has invested in more than 150 independent music managers.
Music Venue Trust
Mark Davyd, CEO, Music Venue Trust
Through their lobbying work, the Music Venue Trust has raised awareness of the challenges facing independent venues in the U.K., helping drive initiatives like a government-supported £1 ticket levy on arena and stadium shows to fund grassroots music spaces. Alongside this policy breakthrough, Davyd says the charitable organization has “continued to deliver practical outcomes at scale,” including maintaining a 97.6% success rate in planning protections. “We are not just trying to stop venues from closing anymore,” Davyd adds. “We are building the financial and structural foundations that allow the grassroots sector to survive, stabilize and grow.”
U.K. Music
Tom Kiehl, CEO, U.K. Music
“I am immensely proud of the work that UK Music achieved to deliver the groundbreaking Black Music Means Business report,” says Kiehl. As the first study of its kind in Europe, the report establishes Black music as a central economic force within the U.K. music industry. Kiehl highlights how the findings, developed in collaboration with U.K. Music’s Board, Diversity Taskforce and executive team, are now shaping conversations across government and wider industry. “Its recommendations tackle the opportunity gap that Black Music continues to face,” he adds, positioning the work as a blueprint for future growth across the £8 billion sector.
Barry Can’t Swim has shared his first song of 2026, “Return to Bhibo,” alongside news of a new record deal.
The Scottish DJ and producer has joined Atlantic Records for his forthcoming releases, having previously partnered with Ninja Tune on his first two studio albums, When Will We Land? (2023) and Loser (2025). The former was nominated for the U.K.’s Mercury Prize, which recognizes an outstanding album by a British or Irish artist.
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Barry Can’t Swim is the latest U.K. artist to sign with the iconic label following rising pop act Erin LeCount. He now joins Fred again.. as one of the label’s premier dance acts.
The news comes hot on the heels of Barry Can’t Swim’s two recent U.S. festival performances at Lightning in a Bottle and Movement, as well as the release of his compilation for legendary mix series Late Night Tales in March as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations. He has been teasing the release of “Return to Bhibo” in a number of live sets and DJ mixes.
The Edinburgh, Scotland-born musician, real name Joshua Spence Mainnie, drew critical acclaim for his 2023 debut album When Will We Land?, which peaked at No. 12 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart. The following summer, he drew one of the largest-ever crowds at Glastonbury’s Park Stage.
The following summer, Barry Can’t Swim headlined London’s All Points East festival and curated the line-up, which included Shygirl, Avalon Emerson and Confidence Man. Loner, his sophomore LP, included “Still Riding,” a remix of Kali Uchis’ breakout 2015 song “Riding Round”.
Speaking to Billboard in 2025, Barry Can’t Swim discussed the pressure of generating new material to satiate his growing crowds. “If you’re doing these kinds of shows, you need bigger tunes,” he said at the time. “I’ve only just gotten to that point — it’s only now that I’m starting to think like that a little bit.”
When Zane Lowe speaks into the mic, his audience outnumbers the population of his homeland.
Lowe hails from New Zealand, a 5 million-strong nation with a rugby obsession and a seriously healthy music scene. Like many of his countrymen and women, this Kiwi is well travelled. Now based in Los Angeles, Lowe has served as Apple Music’s global creative director and lead anchor of Apple Music 1 since 2015.
Prior to joining Apple in the United States — the world’s biggest company by market cap — he called London home, with stints at BBC Radio 1, XFM and presenting “Gonzo” on MTV 2.
Apple doesn’t publicly release real-time or exact daily listener numbers for Apple Music 1. The platform does, however, boast over 112 million paid subscribers globally, and the station, is known to be one of the largest continuous radio broadcast networks in the world.
With that, Lowe is a flag bearer for NZ. In the worlds of music and broadcasting, his is the most recognizable Kiwi accent on earth, and his guests are the biggest artists in the business. None of it is a fluke. The likes of Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, RAYE and countless others have experienced Lowe’s relaxed but well-researched interview technique.
He’s the Rock Star Whisperer.
Lowe recently visited Australia, where he participated in an exclusive on-stage conversation last Sunday, May 24, with triple j Mornings host Lucy Smith at Sydney’s City Recital Hall, part of Vivid Minds’ Creative Trailblazers series. His tips for a life in music and media? “Never expect the talent to be happy to be there,” he told Smith. Also, “nerd the f*** out,” “really care,” and most importantly, “listen to the music.”
Billboard.com also caught up with the broadcaster, talent-spotter and artist, for a glimpse at a career that has taken him from the Land of the Long White Cloud to the one of the biggest gigs in music.
Billboard: Do you remember when the door opened up for you?
Zane Lowe: Yeah, very clearly. I was at working at Max TV in Auckland, and, you know, we were doing shows and having a great time making this free-to-air music channel. It was really fun. I was beginning to wonder what else there is. Is there something else I could keep doing for a long time, you know? And I got this email from a guy called Brent Hansen. An email was so new back then. It was the strangest; the way he said it was like, “saw your tape. Love, dad?” We’re good friends now. To this day I don’t know why he finished his emails “dad,” which I thought was really endearing and really cool. But it probably was an acronym for all I f—ing know. It was just funny. And I just remember thinking, “what tape, how, who? What?” It was just so short and open-ended.
That was the moment, the first time I felt that feeling of, like, the unknown and what was possible really grabbed me. Dude, this could be a life-changing moment if you let it and focus and nurture it.
Subconsciously, I think that’s where I was like, you can do it.
[Hansen went on to serve as president of MTV Europe.]
Who are the top Aussie and Kiwi bands lighting you up at the moment?
Ninajirachi. Australian is really exciting right now. I feel like for every single style of music or whatever you want to call it these days, there’s somebody who’s got a place in that room really effectively. Nina’s crushing in the dance space, I love what Genesis Owusu is doing. I love the whole coming out and taking a look at the wider world and taking his approach at it.
I love Way Dynamic. It’s a very uniquely tasteful Australian experience to me in the sense that the sound design is so impeccable. It’s got that Kevin Parker attention to detail, like it’s got to sound so authentic and rich and warm before you even get drawn into the songs, which are beautiful.
Kiwis wise, I love Mokomokai. I love what Manu and those boys are doing on a rap level. I really like the Beths, Vera Ellen, and that kind of Flying Nun-inspired, in some cases affiliated, sound. And Office Dog, a very cool kind of indie that feels familiar to me from when I grew up, but it feels very modern and very great. And I love, obviously, the Payments.
These bands mean a lot to me. I love that feeling of very tasteful looseness. So I’m really into that.
We’re really good at pop, man. We’re really good at really weird pop. I mean, there’s before-Lorde and after-Lorde. There’s pop music before Ella (Yelich-O’Connor), and pop music after Ella and Joel (Little). Since then, Benee and the Ratbags (have emerged).
We do pop music in a really unique way. It’s weird. We do good weird pop. I just went to Split Enz. They are our No. 1 pop band of all time, and they are the weirdest f—ing pop band of all time. You can’t tell me “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” is not one of the weirdest pop hits of all time. Or “Dirty Creatures,” it’s just so weird and spooky and odd. We tried growing up during a time when that’s all over the radio. You’re just instantly in Weirdland. You feel like you’re in another planet.
We do we do. I think we lean into our isolation in that regard in a cool way, and we use the space that we have away from the rest of the world and away from trends and whatnot. And we use that space wisely. We push into areas that are really weird. We just always have.
What is your tip to fellow Antipodeans who might want to follow in your path?
If there’s inspiration in that, then that’s beautiful. Grab that. My life is really only designed from the vapors of inspiration that I’ve been lucky enough to inhale? I just hyperfocus on what moves you on what is like the No. 1 thing. There’s been on my mind a lot recently. Philosophy reasons, generational reasons, my mom, and also our kids, a lot of swirling change and the order of things, right? And it’s made me really think about, like, at this point in my life, where did it start and how am I here? And in a really nice way.
And I boiled it down to something that’s like a pin prick, the smallest little dot of something that is yours. It moves you, it speaks to you more than anything else. That is the closest thing to the beginning of purpose that you can think of. And the only thing I know that works in life, and this just is, for me, to create as much space and grace to expand on that as you can, to make that dot as big as you can. That’s it.
And how does that speak to your work ethic? Do you feel that you’re a workaholic?
Yeah, well, I was a workaholic. I’m not a workaholic anymore. I try to work smart, smarter, than harder, but I work hard, you know.
But if you enjoy it and you’re not wasting time by only working hard, then it doesn’t feel like hard work.
If I’m tired or I’m over-travelling or I’ve got too many things going on in my brain, I recognize it’s a byproduct of loving what I do, not a byproduct of doing something I don’t want to do, or wasting time.
I’m also really conscious of time because, again, I’m in that really interesting transition of the changing of the guard. With my parents getting older and now in the final phases of their life, and watching our kids kind of starting to really go on their journey in earnest. Realizing the importance of acknowledging and appreciating time in a different way. And I don’t really want to be beholden to it anymore the way I used to be. But also I don’t pretend to try to control it either. So I just I’m trying to make the most of it.
You’ve made some cracking records with Breaks Co-Op and Urban Disturbance. Is there any more of that to come?
Yeah. I’ve actually made an album, man. We’ll announce it soon, my first album in 10 years. It’s not a Breaks record. It’s a me record. I won’t go into describing it too much because, in this particular case, even though I do that for a living, I think I’d better let the music speak for itself. But I’m really proud of it. I will say this just to offset any assertions that maybe I’ve decided to create kind of, you know, a big collaborative montage of relationships in music.
It’s just me. There are no guests and no one else on it at this point, on this particular album. And I’m really excited to share it. And it definitely is the best thing I’ve ever been a part of, so I’m really proud of.
I get energized creating. So, for me, I actually find that if I’ve got a few hours at the end of the night, or into the night, or in the weekend or whatever, to be able to create some music or create some space to create, that is doing the opposite of expelling energy. It’s like when you’re driving an electric car and you pump the brakes and it adds more to the battery. That is what making music is for me. It’s actually adding battery life. It may take time, but it puts all the right energy in the bank for me when I’m making music. It’s a very happy place.
Vivid Minds’ Creative Trailblazers is part of the broader Vivid Sydney festival, which runs through June 13, and is owned, managed and produced by the New South Wales government, Destination NSW and Feel New Sydney.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Gracie Abrams, Drake and Maluma.
This week: Ariana Grande releases the lead single from her anticipated upcoming album petal; aespa drops LEMONADE – The 2nd Album; and Labrinth delivers a cosmically-timed new project… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Ariana Grande, “hate that i made you love me”
Ariana loves a good bit — and she does them well. For longtime fans, her ongoing “maybe I will, maybe I won’t” approach to making more music has kept us on our toes; but thankfully, it never lasts too long, and petal is the latest proof. Despite Grande previously describing the album as “a little feral” in a video she shared on Instagram, lead single “hate that i made you love me” doesn’t sound that way at all. With plinking production that evokes a video game bubbling under water, the savagery is in the songwriting. “I’ve held your projections when you’ve felt so insecure/ Tell me why is it this way/ Why you so hate to see women endure/ Is it really my fault?” questions Ari, showing off her range with quiet confidence. And sure, one could argue “made you love me” is about a romantic partner — but dig deeper and it becomes about anyone who has ever loved (or hated) Ari enough to a point of detriment. And too often, it’s hers.
aespa, LEMONADE – The 2nd Album
Just one month ago, K-pop four piece aespa announced its second studio album, LEMONADE — the group’s first full-length in two years — that arrives today. With features such as G-DRAGON, Ty Dolla $ign and Becky G (who guests on the hyperpop title track), LEMONADE takes aespa to the next level — and right on time. As aespa prepares for its world tour, which extends through 2027, its clear that their high-powered production isn’t the only thing moving full steam ahead.
Jungle, “The Wave”
Like clockwork, at the first whiff of warm summer air and first sight of a delayed sunset, Jungle are right back at it. With a new album fittingly titled SUNSHINE on its way (out Aug. 14), the alternative dance act has shared the first taste with “The Wave.” The groovy, feel-good track delivers on all of Jungle’s best qualities, and sets the bar for more — and much-needed — good vibes ahead.
Labrinth, “THE LIVING”
As Euphoria’s current third season nears its finale on Sunday (May 31) — a season that has notably aired without composer Labrinth’s music after he pulled it from the series citing alleged mistreatment — the artist is filling that void with the release his Cosmic Opera Act II. Standout track “THE LIVING” opens with a bluesy guitar riff that become the song’s backbone as Labrinth tinkers around across intricate layers of sound, as he does. The result is a captivating, full-bodied track that, to no one’s surprise, would sound right at home soundtracking a show or film.
Violet Grohl, Be Sweet To Me
Sure, the last name may be familiar but the sound is entirely her own. With Violet Grohl’s debut album, the budding rocker makes a name for herself as a skilled vocalist, songwriter and producer. And the result is a knockout album that doesn’t let up across its 11 endearing tracks. On Be Sweet To Me Violet not only shows off what she’s capable of, but quickly cements her status as a torchbearer for rock’s current class.