Table of contents for No. 1401 in Music Week

Six years ago, I observed in these pages that, as good as streaming's offering was at the time, there was still a long way to go before one DSP could offer you every album you wanted to hear. To cite just a few examples from early 2019, everything from Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Aaliyah's self-titled swansong to De La Soul's 3 Feet High And Rising and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, not to mention Tool's entire catalogue, were absent from all or certain platforms for various reasons. As for 2025? Well, pretty much everything you could ever want to play is ready at the push of a button. This gradual evolution is something, I think, that has largely been taken for granted. Now to address ye olde elephant in the room.…

THE BIG DEAL Universal Music Group and Amazon Music will explore new and enhanced product opportunities as part of an expanded global relationship. The partnership will enable further innovation, exclusive content with UMG artists and the advancement of artist-centric principles including increased fraud protection. Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group, said: “We are very excited to advance our longstanding, excellent partnership with Amazon Music that marks a new era in streaming – Streaming 2.0.” THE BIG TRIBUTE Tributes have been paid to BBC Radio 2 presenter Johnnie Walker, who has died aged 79. The DJ, who first joined the network in 1997, died two months after retiring from broadcasting because of ill health. He presented Sounds Of The 70s and The Rock Show. Helen Thomas, head of…

Senior A&R manager, Sony Music Publishing @zazakazadi You joined SMP as a frontline A&R in January last year. How did you get your first break? “Back in 2017, I was managing TK The Producer, an exciting young producer in the hip-hop/rap space at the time, and I was also working with ZieZie before I became his official manager. Leostaytrill's co-manager Ade Shonubi introduced me to Lunick Bourgess, who was at Virgin EMI at the time and who offered to co-manage TK with me. After that, Lunick started bringing me around and introducing me to everyone he knew. To be honest, I didn't think I'd be in A&R until I met with Gerard Phillips [MD, Young Songs] who brought me in as a consultant for a few months, then I met…

SAM FENDER Little Bit Closer (Polydor) The third single from Sam Fender's upcoming third album People Watching can be analysed as a distillation of everything he does best. Little Bit Closer is at once epic and universal, complete not only with a radio-ready hook, but also layers of guitar and strings that make it perfect for wide open spaces. This will go down a storm at this summer's stadium dates, occasions that will celebrate the communal appeal of his work. Whatever you're searching for, you'll likely find it in a Sam Fender song. Contact: Jon Lawrence Jon@chalkpressagency.co.uk NAO All Of Me (RCA) Few artists are pushing classic genres forward in the way that Nao is. On All Of Me, from her fourth album Jupiter, the singer luxuriates through a slow…

“I wonder if label culture is changing because artists are experimenting more and nothing is as defined as it used to be” Biig Piig Your career has been building steadily for a few years, but why does now feel like the right time for your debut album? “It's taken me so long to get to the point where I was confident enough and I knew myself enough to do the full-length, but it just felt right. I just felt like I didn't want to stop writing, whereas I usually come to the point where I'm like, 'Project done,' after five or six tracks. I used to question myself more than I do now in respect of how I feel and what I want to do. I feel like I've grown to…

“Some independent labels still think there's a war between indies and majors – I don't see it that way at all” KENNY GATES, PIAS Midway through an exclusive interview to reflect on the foundations and future of global indie powerhouse PIAS, a rueful smile passes across Kenny Gates' face. Sitting at his desk at the company's London HQ in Bermondsey, the good-humoured executive is sharing that classic lesson all independent label bosses have to learn at some point if they're going to stay in the music business. “One day, someone tells you the illuminating sentence, 'If you love the music, it would be much cheaper for you to go and buy the record,'” he grins. “Then you think, 'That's actually quite an interesting thought.' Why did I spend so much money?…

DICKON STAINER UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK “I hope that we put artistry and human creativity at the heart of our conversations. It's what our industry is built on.” JEN IVORY PARLOPHONE “I hope that the UK produces even more global superstars, showcasing the immense talent and creativity that thrives in this country. The ambition and cultural imprint of UK talent should never be underestimated.” OBI ASIKA UTA “We need to see new ideas and people emerge. Greater diversity in the industry, especially in live, is needed. I really hope 2025 sees us go forwards, not backwards, in this regard.” ANDREA CZAPARY MARTIN PRS FOR MUSIC “My hope is for long-term solutions to reopen the EU touring market for UK artists. The government has indicated this is a priority and we look…

This month, Music Venue Trust will release its 2024 Annual Report. The information in it contains results from a large-scale survey of all the trading live music spaces operating as grassroots music venues in the UK during the last 12 months. We take all the data and evidence they provide to us about their shows, ticket sales, prices, other activities, staffing, the income they generated and the expenditure that was required to make it all happen. We analyse it, compare it to some third party data and analytics, and then turn that whole package into something we hope is packed with information but easily digestible. This is our third released report like it, and it comes at a crucial moment in the conversation about how to create a genuinely sustainable…

Your essential primer for the month ahead Industry executives have welcomed continuing growth for the UK recorded music market – but British acts face challenges amid increasing competition. Based on Official Charts Company data, the BPI announced that consumption across sales and streams increased 9.7% year-on-year in 2024 to 200.5 million equivalent albums. The market has seen a decade of growth. The latest rise was powered by an 11% surge in the streaming market, with 199.6 billion audio streams accumulated over the course of the year. Streaming now makes up 88.8% of all consumption. “We continue to pass streaming landmarks, with four billion coming in one week alone [for the first time, in May 2024],” Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI chief executive, told Music Week. “It shows that while the…

“Setbacks often start in our minds, and it's here that we defeat ourselves” Ben Wynter Host: Ben Wynter (Founder & CEO, Unstoppable Music Group) Contact: beunstoppable@unstoppablemusicgroup.com You already have Unstoppable Music Group, and your work with AIM and Power Up, so what made you want to add 'podcast host' to your CV, too? “When I first started this project, I didn't fully grasp the time and effort it would demand. If I had, I might have hesitated, but I'm lucky to have an amazing team behind me. While I'm the face of The Be Unstoppable Podcast, they're the ones who make it all happen. People had been urging me to start a podcast for years, but I wanted it to deliver real value – not just to the music industry but…

@iamntyrell 1st Jan and I've already been invited out to the club on the weekend. When will I change? (Nicolas-Tyrell Scott, journalist via X) Wednesday, January 1 @jjiszatt I'm having some Baileys and enjoying the rest of my Boxing Day plz thanks. Please respect my privacy at this difficult time. (Jess Iszatt, BBC Radio 1 via X) Thursday, December 26 @andrewmale.bsky.social Hands up if you ever interviewed someone you admired who you later discovered was an FBI informant. (Andrew Male, journalist via Bluesky) Wednesday, December 18 @cmatbaby I had the best time of my whole entire life last night. And it was on the telly! Thank you so much for all the love and thank you the most to my hero Jools Holland for having me. I would sing with your orchestra…

You released your second EP, Problem With Authority, in November last year. How did it first come to life? “My debut EP, Litany, was written between the ages of 13 to 17, which was a really hard time, so it was very vulnerable. This EP is still about me but I took on the idea of writing about other peoples' stories in it. Musically it's also different as I was influenced by a lot of what I was listening to at the time – like old-school Cuban and gospel music – and I wrote a lot of it in my uni bedroom [at Guildhall School Of Music]! There is still a sense of vulnerability in it, but that is channelled through more adult emotions.” Did you always know that you…

“I'm ready for this, mentally, physically and spiritually” TEDDY SWIMS Teddy Swims thinks that if his big breakthrough had happened when he originally thought it might, none of the US singer-songwriter's eventual success would have actually transpired. Swims, aka the Conyers, Georgia native Jaten Dimsdale, is a pop polymath whose music blends lithe R&B, slick neo-soul, country warmth, melodious hooks and rock swagger, and he's primed to become the world's next superstar. His monster 2023 hit Lose Control – which peaked at No.2 in the UK and has over 2.2 billion global streams – is one of the most successful singles in recent memory, but Swims has had to wait his turn. It was back at the end of 2019 that the then 27-year-old signed his deal with Warner Records after…

NAO (ARTIST, SONGWRITER & PRODUCER) Before she became an RIAA gold-certified singer, songwriter and producer, Nao started out as a session singer and music teacher. After she began writing her own music in 2014, she eventually went on to place third in 2016's BBC Sound Of Poll and tour with Little Dragon. Her debut album, For All We Know, was released later that year and received BRIT and MOBO Award nominations, as well as a BRIT Certified Breakthrough Award. After touring across the globe and picking up credits with the likes of Mura Masa, Ariana Grande and Stormzy, in 2018 Nao released her Mercury Prize- and Grammy-nominated album, Saturn. In 2021, she was nominated for another MOBO for her third record And Then Life Was Beautiful, and is now set…

UNITED KINGDOM Gracie Abrams That's So True Video Creations: 4,800,000 Gracie Abrams' track That's So True has become a defining anthem for the global TikTok community. Its relatable lyrics and catchy melody sparked a trend where fans craft videos dramatising their own personal breakup stories, often paired with the song's most impactful lines. From lip-sync performances to dance routines, the hashtag #ThatsSoTrue has amassed millions of views on the platform, firmly establishing the track as one of the most prominent and trending songs of the month. Abrams' TikTok-driven momentum has not only resonated with fans but also propelled her to the top spot on the UK Official Charts. TikTok's music partnerships manager Lisa Skeppner notes how the TikTok community's engagement with That's So True has established the hit as a…

Alex Weston, Riverman Management After 35 years in the business and a glorious win at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards, Riverman Management co-founder Alex Weston reflects on her intrepid industry career, from promoting the first grunge gigs in the UK with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and more, to building a long-lasting bond with Placebo and working with David Bowie… I'm proud of every artist I've ever worked with… “We've just celebrated 35 years of Riverman, and while I'm not good at self-congratulatory stuff, winning at the Artist & Manager Awards meant that I sat back and thought about [our time] managing Bryan Ferry in Roxy Music, David Sylvian, who was one of my heroes growing up, Placebo and Wild Beasts. Some of my favourite bands in the world never made…

As we enter 2025, Alt Blk Era currently stand as one of the most exciting new alternative rock bands in the UK. Yet for all the award nominations and hype coming their way of late, for sisters Nyrobi and Chaya Beckett-Messam, it still feels like only yesterday that they were doing their household chores while belting out their vocals over instrumental versions of Katy Perry's biggest hits. “Our mum would be like, 'What is taking so long?!' because we'd spend hours playing songs off our iPod,” laughs older sister Nyrobi, as the siblings settle into a chat with Music Week during a “big planning, organising, 'clothes-all-over-the-bed', wardrobe-sorting” kind of day. Hailing from Nottingham, 20-year-old Nyrobi and 17-year-old Chaya have been surrounded by music for as long as they can remember.…

JANUARY 24 C Duncan It's Only A Love Song Bella Union Central Cee Can't Rush Greatness Columbia FKA Twigs Eusexua Young Flipturn Burnout Days Dualtone/MNRK Larkin Poe Bloom Tricki-Woo Mogwai The Bad Fire Rock Action Slowly Slowly Forgiving Spree Nettwerk Teddy Swims I've Tried Everything But Therapy – Pt 2 Swims/Atlantic The Weeknd Hurry Up Tomorrow Republic/XO Tunng Love You All Over Again Full Time Hobby JANUARY 31 Bonnie “Prince” Billy The Purple Bird Domino Circa Waves Death & Love, Pt.1 Lower Third/PIAS Everyone Says Hi Everyone Says Hi Chrysalis Jeremy Loops Feathers And Stones Loops Kim Wilde Closer Cherry Red Lil Durk Deep Thoughts Alamo/Sony Lilly Hiatt Forever New West Ludovico Einaudi The Summer Portraits Decca Manic Street Preachers Critical Thinking Sony Maribou State Hallucinating Love Ninja Tune Røry…

MYLES SMITH LABEL: RCA KEY TRACK: Stargazing “The first time I heard Myles' music, I quickly realised that his superpower is tapping into every relatable emotion, all whilst making you want to shout out his catchy, folk-inspired choruses in the blazing sun with your besties. His songs are timeless, and cryptic enough for you to interpret them and apply them to whatever situation you're in, whether it's the weightless joy of Nice To Meet You, or the tenderness of Whisper. He's also one of the most humble artists you'll ever meet, one of life's golden people that you can't help but be drawn to.” Kerrie Cosh (BBC Introducing) “Myles first appeared on my radar as a fresher at the University Of Nottingham in 2017. Though new to media exposure and…

“I'm working with some of the best artists in the world; if they don't know what they're doing, then we're all doomed!” FRASER T SMITH Just look what it used to be like when we first moved in,” says Fraser T Smith, thumbing through the pages of a giant coffee-table photo album that depicts the conversion of his home studio from crumbling barn to state-of-the-art recording set-up. The midwinter cold is biting in the Buckinghamshire countryside, but the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist is at ease in a white T-shirt, unbuttoned cardigan and joggers, a sure sign of the perfect temperature inside his musical lair. We're surrounded by vintage equipment, the walls festooned with photos of Smith and his past collaborators, a list that stretches from Craig David, Adele and Sam Smith,…

When Sonny Fodera dropped Somedays with Jazzy and D.O.D in July last year, the Ibiza-inspired anthem became the song of the summer. It climbed to No.5 in the UK and has since racked up over 65 million streams on Spotify. Here, the Australian hitmaker reminisces on how the track came to life as he recalls a serendipitous studio session, 14 different mixes and a memorable gig at Alexandra Palace… When Somedays first came about, it was 2023, and I was working on new music after [2021's] Wide Awake. I was trying to make something which had the 'Ibiza sound' to it, the kind of song that when you hear it you just think, 'Yeah, I'm here, I'm in Ibiza!' So I was going through synth sounds and I came across…