Messy review | A triumphant genre-spanning debut from Olivia Dean
★★★★☆
Embracing the highs and lows of romantic relationships and family history, Olivia Dean’s debut album Messy certainly lives up to the hype, writes Hannah Mylrea.
★★★★☆
Embracing the highs and lows of romantic relationships and family history, Olivia Dean’s debut album Messy certainly lives up to the hype, writes Hannah Mylrea.
★★★★☆
There’s something cleansing about witnessing Yusuf/Cat Stevens wander onto the stage in his 75th year and strum through his soulful repertoire. It’s an experience that triggers an emotional response.
★★★★★
Elton John closed out Glastonbury 2023 with a set for the ages, in front of a mammoth Pyramid Stage audience. If this really is his last ever live UK, he goes out on an almighty high, writes Ali Shutler.
★★★☆☆
Lana Del Rey certainly made her return to Worthy Farm last night with a spectacle. Nine years on from her first Glastonbury performance in 2014 and with her UK shows scarce, the singer, born Lizzy Grant, delivered an intense and confusing hour-long set, writes Millie O’Brien.
★★★★☆
After allaying fears they wouldn’t be able to perform, Arctic Monkeys showed why they’ve been called upon three times to headline Glastonbury – with a crooning, charismatic Alex Turner at the helm and a set that weaved greatest hits with fresh additions.
★★★★☆
In a not-so-secret set, Foo Fighters turned out to be the mystery band The Churnups, playing an hour-long set at Glastonbury 2023.
★★★★☆
Musical prodigy Jacob Collier had the crowd in the palm of his multi-instrumental hands at Canons Marsh Amphitheatre, as part of the Bristol Sounds series of open-air concerts.
On Yellow Peril, Nat Myers addresses anti-Asian narratives through blues and poetry on an album that's really about “Yellow Power”.
★★★★☆
New wave pioneers Depeche Mode played a mammoth arena show at Twickenham Stadium, as part of their ongoing Memento Mori World Tour – Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s first concert tour without Andy Fletcher. whynow went to watch.
★★★☆☆
After rising to fame on America's X Factor over a decade ago, only now is Willie Jones releasing Something To Dance to, his major label debut.
★★★☆☆
Ash Olsen’s debut album Golden Child gives plenty of reasons to keep track of the rising Norwegian rapper – even if some if it sounds like its been heard all-too-often before.
★★★★★
Diving into their diverse discography at Hillsborough Park, Arctic Monkeys rolled back the years with a blistering set that offered something for every kind of fan.
★★★★☆
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit show that country music can be as politically direct as any genre on their latest album, Weathervanes.
★★★★★ On King Krule’s fourth album, Space Heavy, Archy Marshall sticks his head above the surface to drift beautifully across choppy seas in a way only he could.
★★★★☆
Red Velvet bring their iconic Queendom to London, taking fans on a journey through their musical performance. Armed with the best discography in K-pop and excellent vocals, they remind us it’s more than a concert, but an experience – even with group member Joy’s absence.
★★★★☆
Squid rejuvenate a mishmashed post-punk scene with their sophomore album, O Monolith, writes Lucy Harbron.
★★★★☆
Dave and Central Cee’s surprise collaborative EP Split Decision demonstrates the pair’s penmanship, with puns on cars, clothes, women and footballers seamlessly interspersed with an impressive blend of swagger and introspection.
★★★★★
Beyoncé confirms there really is no one on her level at the fifth and final show of her Tottenham Hotspur Stadium residency. Ali Shutler went to watch the glittering spectacle.
★★★☆☆
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are, to some extent, underrated; overshadowed by the noise that surrounds the former Oasis man’s former outfit with brother Liam. Despite some moments of majesty, however, Council Skies is by no means their best work.
★★★★☆
Unknown Mortal Orchestra provided a whistle-stop dive into their terrific catalogue at Troxy, placing emphasis on the rock in their psych-rock output.
★★★★☆
Metro Boomin enlists some of the biggest names in music to create a dazzling 13-song album as the soundtrack for the new movie, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
★★★★☆ This summer the Serpentine is hosting Tomás Saraceno’s largest exhibition in the UK to date. But don’t expect a typical exhibition – Saraceno has injected a number of interventions into the format to shake things up.
★★★★☆
Tanya Tucker provides the full, authentic country experience on her latest and 26th studio album, Sweet Western Sound.
★★★★☆
Kassi Valazza’s sophomore album, Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing, is a poetic package of tender tunes – for home, healing or the highway. Read our review.
★★★★☆
Ecuadorian-Swiss brothers Hermanos Gutiérrez took the crowd on a desert road trip at Cross The Tracks, with their hypnotic, soulful instrumentals. Read our review.
★★★★★
After Stade de France had practically run out of alcohol and the Parisian sun had begun to set, the one and only Beyoncé – a true Queen of our times – arrived for the sixth night of her highly coveted tour.
★★☆☆☆
Lil Durk has a lot to say and a track record for possessing an ability to deliver it – but that’s not what we get on his latest album, Almost Healed.
★☆☆☆☆
Kodak Black’s Pistolz & Pearlz is likely to be the Florida rapper’s final album with Atlantic Records, but he seems as uninterested making the album as I am listening to it.
★★★★☆
Lola Young sets out her stall as a bold new force on her debut album, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely. Read our review.
★★★☆☆
Prima Queen took to London’s Lafayette amid a current run of headline UK shows, in a gig that demonstrated just why they’re ones to watch – and how much more they’ll give in years ahead.