Table of contents for No. 1402 in Music Week

“The British are coming!” – four immortal words that are typically attributed to Paul Revere on the eve of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. While historians will argue as to whether, er, he actually said them during his midnight horse ride alerting locals of the impending attack, what’s altogether more certain is who is uttering those words now in 2025. Judging from meetings I’ve had so far this year, a lot of people in the British music business are starting to sound like Paul Revere, albeit sans ominous undertones. Yes, in the last couple of years, much has been made about our domestic breaking talent falling short of its world-beating reputation of old, but right now outlooks seem to be changing. “The Brits are coming for global success,” Polydor Label…

THE BIG MOVE BMG has promoted Anna Derbyshire to VP of campaign management. She will work alongside Jamie Nelson, SVP, new recordings. Since joining BMG in 2020 as senior marketing manager, Derbyshire has spearheaded three consecutive No.1 albums for Kylie Minogue. “I’m delighted to be helping to lead BMG’s recorded music operations in the UK,” she said. “The passion, creativity and dedication the team shows for our artists is truly inspiring, and I feel honoured to play a part in shaping our future success.” THE BIG DEAL Concord has acquired a portion of Johnny McDaid’s song catalogue. As well as being a member of Snow Patrol, McDaid has also written for Ed Sheeran, Pink, Lewis Capaldi, Keith Urban, Shawn Mendes, Zara Larsson, Alicia Keys, Jung Kook, and more. “Johnny is…

Marketing manager, Nettwerk @jess_rowe16 You used to be a radio plugger, how did you move into music marketing? “Community and specialist radio plugging was my first full-time foray into the music industry. I loved the social nature of the job, but I felt on the fringes of the campaigns, and marketing seemed like a space for me to dig my heels in, learn more about the campaign process and be more creative. Luckily, I just feel like I’ve fallen right into place. Getting into this industry is a challenge – my tactic was to research as many companies, people and brands as possible, which made me aware of who was behind the music I was listening to. Landing an entry-level music job is very much about perseverance; it’s just about…

FEBRUARY 21 Killswitch Engage This Consequence Metal Blade Luke Sital-Singh Fool’s Spring Nettwerk Nao Jupiter Little Tokyo/Sony One OK Rock Detox Fueled By Ramen Sam Fender People Watching Polydor Tate McRae So Close To What RCA Texas King Ultraviolet Known Accomplice The Lottery Winners Koko Modern Sky UK The Murder Capital Blindness Human Seasons The Sherlocks Everything Must Make Sense! TeddyBoy Youth Lagoon Rarely Do I Dream Fat Possum FEBRUARY 28 Aloe Blacc Stand Together Grand Scheme Antony Szmierek Service Station At The End Of The Universe Virgin/Mushroom Architects The Sky, The Earth & All Between Epitaph Banks Off With Her Head ADA Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (Deluxe Re-release) Island/UMC Bonnie Trash Mourning You Hand Drawn Dracula Bradley Simpson The Panic Years Insanity/Sony Dark Chapel Spirit In The Glass…

Management: Eric Parker, Paul Jeboda, Robyn Carter (Extended Play Music Group) Label: RCA Label Group UK CEO & Chairman: Jason Iley Co-Presidents: Stacey Tang & Glyn Aikins MD: Damaris Rex-Taylor A&R: Joe Iddison & Glyn Aikins Marketing: Ange Joe Co-Marketing Directors: Simon Forbes & Edd Blower Digital Marketing: Chinwe Mlemchukwu International Marketing: Sophie Graham Publisher: Sony Music Publishing Agent: Mike Malak (Wasserman) Print & Online Press: Rachel Campbell (Wired PR) Radio: Phil Youngman & Ellie Best TV: Sarah Haddow Creative Director: Joy Elton…

CIRKUT SONG: APT – ROSÉ & BRUNO MARS A collaboration between Blackpink star Rosé and pop icon Bruno Mars had all the makings of a global hit, but even co-producer Cirkut couldn’t predict the heights APT would go to when it was released last year. The track landed at No.2 in the UK and has racked up over one billion Spotify streams to date. Here, the hitmaker tells the story of how a Korean drinking game inspired the song that shook the entire industry… Sometimes, it’s the simplest little thing that can become a whole song. That’s exactly what happened with APT. It was my first time working with Rosie [Rosé]. We had a batch of sessions over the course of a few weeks, and we’d been trying out different…

“Creators are not contesting AI technology – what they’re contesting is exploitation” CRISPIN HUNT, PRS FOR MUSIC You’ve served at various trade bodies over the years. Why were you keen to take on this role? “I’ve been working to represent our community for a long time now. I love PRS, it’s an extraordinary organisation. Collecting societies are fantastically important, more so now than perhaps they’ve ever been, because there are a lot of challenges to the livelihoods of its members. I’m completely excited to get into helping our membership and our community try and navigate all of the complexities of the modern music business.” What does it mean for you personally to be able to represent the membership of PRS For Music? “PRS is incredibly progressive and fantastically transparent, but we…

“The ebbs and flows of everyday life resonate on this podcast – you get the positive, negative… all of it” Mo Ayoub THIS MONTH SELECTOR: BEHIND THE MUSIC Host: Mo Ayoub Contact: colette.baillie@britishcouncil.org Launched in 2024, Selector: Behind The Music – produced by Audio Always for the British Council – offers an insightful monthly look at the burning issues in music. Here, host Mo Ayoub explains why Selector Radio wanted to demystify the business… Selector Radio already exists, with support from the British Council, to spotlight UK music acts, so what was the specific appeal of launching a podcast, too? “We want to continue celebrating UK music in a way that welcomes the ears of listeners who are completely fresh to the multitude of careers, faces and voices that lie behind…

@MayaJama Take the internet back to when MSN, Bebo & Habbo hotel ruled. (Maya Jama, TV presenter and DJ via X) Tuesday, January 28 @kimpetras David Lynch I’ll love you and your work forever. (Kim Petras, artist via X) Thursday, January 16 @ZeonRichards Central Cee making a pure rap album to take on the world. What a blessed position to be in. (Zeon Richards, Renowned via X) Friday, January 24 @StephAchigbu I’m overwhelmed and craving porridge… (Stephanie Achigbu, TikTok/SoundOn via X) Wednesday, January 22 @lambrinigirlz Album is good we have clout now. (Lambrini Girls, band via Instagram) Sunday, January 19 @adotdee Is there a better year in pop culture than 1996? (Movies/ music) I don’t think so. (Austin Daboh, Atlantic Records UK via X) Friday, January 10 @lanikaps.bsky.social Opus looks like…

“Doechii told me she’s been a fan of mine since Goddess” Banks Off With Her Head is a provocative title – is the metaphorical decapitation job we’re talking about here a musical one or a personal one? “It’s funny, it sounds dark but it’s not; it’s really positive. It’s about getting out of your head, being at peace and not ruminating on the past. As an artist, it’s really easy to overthink things. I’m a perfectionist, too – I could definitely get into that self-attacking, crazy world where I would say things to myself that I would never say to somebody else. So it’s nice to have a little mantra about being in a good place, having a fresh start and just trying to be present.” The album was heralded by…

MUIREANN BRADLEY As she prepares to re-release her debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, the Irish rising star gives us a glimpse into what life is like as an 18-year-old music prodigy… You’re releasing the remastered version of your debut record this month. Having originally released it in 2023, what does that project mean to you now? “When I recorded that album, I was very young and all the tracks are in chronological order, so the first track is the first recording we did and I sound a lot younger on it. For this one, we’ve recorded another track to add to it [When The Levee Breaks], so it just shows my progress, my career development and how I’m moving on.” How did I Kept These Old Blues initially…

“The idea of a corporate overrunning of the industry, versus the passionate visionaries in the independent world, isn’t accurate any more – it’ll be on us to prove this thesis” MOLLY NEUMAN, CD BABY A s 2025 kicks into gear, Molly Neuman has only one thing on her mind: change. “I started last year with one job and now have a different one,” Neuman tells Music Week of going from chief marketing officer of Downtown Music Holdings to president of the company’s distribution service CD Baby. “There has been a lot of adaptability and that has been a big theme for me, especially in my new role. Downtown is a company that has been around for years. The industry is changing and we have to adapt to what music fans are…

“I think we have an anxiety in metal, we’re worried that artists are going to leave our little community” COURTNEY LAPLANTE, SPIRITBOX When the 66th annual Grammy nominations were announced in 2023, Spiritbox vocalist Courtney LaPlante was so sure the band’s name wouldn’t be read out she opted to sleep in rather than tune into the ceremony. So confident was she that the Canadian four-piece would be overlooked she told her husband, Spiritbox guitarist Michael Stringer, that if they were nominated she would buy him a dog; he’d always wanted one called Spaghetti. That LaPlante begins our interview from her Los Angeles home by apologising in advance for any noise Spaghetti may make – they’ve nicknamed the Poodle-Bernese Mountain Dog-cross “Ghetti” – is proof she is a woman of her word.…

The publication of Music Venue Trust’s Annual Report last month, covering the economic realities for grassroots music venues, artists and promoters over the past 12 months, provides a moment in the calendar for a lot of disasterstrewn headlines about the state of the country’s grassroots ecosystem. It would obviously be wrong to ignore the statistics that reveal a sector struggling to survive in the face of some extreme challenges. However, there is a lot of positive news in the report that often gets overlooked. There are important stories about the work that GMVs and people in the sector are doing, the events still taking place, and the artists and promoters bringing live music to our communities. There’s also an emerging picture of what this sector could look like in the…

I achieved my goal for the year,” Pozer says, mulling over the past 12 months. “I wanted to pave the way, set my name and I’ll be real, I’m really happy.” He may well be under-selling things here when you consider the year that the 21-year-old breakout rapper just had. He burst onto the scene last February when his debut single, Kitchen Stove – which has racked up over 34 million streams on Spotify and has 233,490 sales according to Official Chart Company data – hit No.22 in the UK charts. The track remained in the Top 100 for six more weeks, during which Pozer dropped his follow-up hit Malicious Intentions in April, which saw him become the first ever UK rapper to have his first two singles land in…

LISA (FT. DOJA CAT & RAYE) Born Again (Lloud Co/RCA) It’s pleasing when an already-massive pop star makes decisions that add extra heft to a campaign that’s long been creaking under the weight of expectation. That’s exactly what Lisa does here, inviting Doja Cat and Raye to leave their mark on the slick, bombastic Born Again, which trails her debut solo album, Alter Ego. Last year’s singles Rockstar and Rosalía collab New Woman had similarly emphatic titles, implying that the LP will mark a new era for the Thailand-born singer, who is also adding acting to her pursuit of global icon status by starring in The White Lotus. Contact: Lily Batten lily.batten@sonymusic.com DJO Basic Being Basic (AWAL) Djo’s End Of Beginning has more than 820,000 UK sales, but there’s no…

An experienced multidisciplinary creative, Goodness Victor is currently Spotify’s songwriter and publishing partnerships associate manager, where her position focuses on creating global opportunities for songwriters and producers. Throughout her career so far, she has led creative campaigns spotlighting star songwriters such as Kamille, MNEK, LostBoy, Ari PenSmith and Ines Dunn, and has also worked with various teams to facilitate songwriting camps for emerging talent around the globe, notably in London, Lagos and Nairobi. Elsewhere, Victor has launched numerous Spotify Songwriter Pages for the likes of Rema, London, Mbryo and Louddaaa. Before joining Spotify, she scouted emerging talent as an A&R at Decca Records, having previously worked at design consultancies such as AKQA and Accenture Song. Here, Victor shares her top five tips on how to build a successful career in…

When Jon Collins thinks about how to gauge the success of LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), the body bringing together and representing a variety of voices and businesses across the UK’s live music and entertainment industries, the CEO says you need to think in a timescale of years. Lobbying the government and turning industry concerns into real-life change is not something that happens overnight. “In a lot of industries, people are used to making decisions and things happening immediately but politics doesn’t work that way,” he says. Instead, Collins counts the lower-level wins along the way, such as LIVE having a voice in the secondary ticketing consultation launched by the government in early January 2025. “Having LIVE quoted in a government press release is a very clear example…

01 GOODNESS GRACIE GRACIE ABRAMS That’s So True (Polydor) SALES: 191,939 No.1 for three out of the four weeks that counted towards our monthly chart, That’s So True became Gracie Abrams’ biggest UK hit in January. Now with 665,728 total sales to date, it is an impressive and long-lasting success for the Los Angeles-born singer, who quickly reclaimed her position at the top of the weekly chart after briefly being dethroned during the Christmas period. By the month’s end, That’s So True had spent a total of eight weeks at No.1, while adding 191,939 sales in January alone. Abrams’ hit I Love You, I’m Sorry landed at No.20 for the month, shifting 78,921 units to swell its overall to date tally to 579,177. Abrams has one further single that has passed…

UNITED KINGDOM Beabadoobee Real Man Video Creations: 4,100,000 Beabadoobee’s Real Man has taken TikTok by storm with its sharp lyricism and folk-pop sound being used as a backdrop for parodies and reflective moments alike. The lyric, ‘I guess no one ever taught you how to be a real man,’ has become a trending punchline and the viral Real Man dance saw it’s originator, TikTok creator @freenowellie, invited on stage with Beabadoobee. Creators across the platform have been using the song to address ex-partners, fictional characters and absurd scenarios, showcasing Beabadoobee’s ability to craft songs that resonate universally. TikTok UK & Ireland’s music partnerships manager Lisa Skeppner notes how this has also displayed TikTok’s role in amplifying niche tracks into becoming cultural phenomena. “Beabadoobee’s Real Man is a testament to the…

It’s been a surreal start at 6 Music… As he officially takes over the reins on the Breakfast Show on 6 Music having covered for Lauren Laverne, Nick Grimshaw tells tales of run-ins with Rihanna and Robbie Williams, offers advice for artists and recalls waiting on Grace Jones at Wimbledon… “We always have it on at home, so it’s weird to then be talking about Cloudbusting or doing Desert Island Disco when you’re used to hearing those features in your kitchen. But I’ve found it the most enjoyable time I’ve had on radio. Getting to sit in a studio with really good speakers and listen to three hours of great music is the best start to a day I could ever ask for. Even though it’s a breakfast show and…