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Music
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Rapper contributes funds to complete long-gestating land art piece in Arizona, having described the work as ‘life-changing’ -
A Chainsmokers hit is being adapted for the cinema. But what happens when you turn a chart tune into a screenplay? From Dua Lipa to Sheeran, here are a few potential plots
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Norway’s economic crimes unit Økokrim is investigating whether listening statistics have been manipulated by Jay-Z’s music streaming company -
Seventeen years after her angsty pop punk made her a global star, Avril Lavigne’s back with a sixth album. And having survived illness and divorce, she’s in no mood to compromise -
Rapper’s last-minute request for a custom-built dome would have meant removing a large number of toilets, say festival organisers
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The London artist looks and sounds like nobody else in 2019, so it’s no wonder he has confused the industry. He talks about class, dyslexia, absent dads and tube dancing -
Twenty years ago a new movement blending eastern sounds with electro and drum’n’bass arrived to give a generation of young British Asians a vibrant new voice. Why did it fade away so quickly? -
The rapper’s new album, Championships, topped the US chart – but after a controversial jail term, he remains haunted by a US legal system he is now trying to change -
As the first woman to present the BBC Radio 1 Rap Show, Calver explains where the genre is heading – from mental health themes to female empowerment
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4 out of 5 stars.
The 1975 – pop glitz and tech trickery in a millennial arena
4 out of 5 stars.Blurred genres, digital anxieties and giant iPhones… the 1975 strive for the zeitgeist as they open their new UK tour -
3 out of 5 stars.
Ella Mai – British R&B star is flawed but adored
3 out of 5 stars.The singer behind the hit Boo’d Up may not yet have a substantial repertoire, but her swagger and verve suggest she is no one-hit wonder -
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3 out of 5 stars.
Alexander O'Neal – soul man sticks to the synth-funk hits
3 out of 5 stars. -
4 out of 5 stars.
Richard Ashcroft – pout and attitude from indie rock maverick
4 out of 5 stars. -
4 out of 5 stars.
Wolf Alice - sweetness and snarl from indie-rock revolutionaries
4 out of 5 stars.
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4 out of 5 stars.
Alexis Petridis's album of the week Deerhunter: Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? – beautiful and strange desert drama
4 out of 5 stars.Recorded in rural Texas, this atmospheric album switches from psych-pop to alt-rock to experimental lo-fi, held together by Bradford Cox’s drawl -
4 out of 5 stars.
Sharon Van Etten: Remind Me Tomorrow review – assured, gorgeous electro-tinged progression
4 out of 5 stars.Van Etten’s decision to shift to electronic instruments only adds to the thrill on this arresting album -
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To honour the passing of Pete Shelley, we revisit Dave Simpson's feature on 40 years since the Manchester band’s first release reshaped pop music with one of the first ever independent releases
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In focus
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Her songs are streamed in the millions and her music is beloved by Janet Jackson. But who is HER, the songwriter who hides her identity with a pair of sunglasses? -
A guide to everything you’ll need to know about TV, film and music next year, including Tarantino’s Charles Manson obsession and what’s next for Richard Madden’s bum -
Pop star’s reported use of software to root out stalkers may be well meant, but it fuels a disturbing trend, experts say -
Dua Lipa is the most nominated artist for a second year in a row, joined by Essex pop star Anne-Marie on four nominations
By genre
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Dua Lipa is the most nominated artist for a second year in a row, joined by Essex pop star Anne-Marie on four nominations
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Twenty years ago a new movement blending eastern sounds with electro and drum’n’bass arrived to give a generation of young British Asians a vibrant new voice. Why did it fade away so quickly?
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New York rapper’s online-only album Hoodie SZN reaches No 1 spot mainly from 83m streams as digital downloads continue to plummet
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The mixed-race rap-metal trio are standing up for America’s disenfranchised not just as musicians, but as frontline activists, says singer Jason Aalon Butler
You may have missed
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Our countdown is complete, and top spot goes to a timely blast of identity pop – adding to a fine selection of albums that range from the socially conscious to the political, as well as pure slices of ecstatic rock and cutting rap -
The French artist’s album has been named our best of 2018. She talks about embracing her sensuality, touching gifts she received from fans and her own favourite record of the year -
The singer has shown courage in the face of trauma, tragedy and tabloid sniping to become the voice of a mass movement towards broad-mindedness and staunch optimism
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Exhilarating queer pop, politically charged rock and genre-defying aural artistry: this year’s best Australian albums were full of power and purpose -
With widdly-woo guitars and albums about mythic priests, Rush became the biggest cult band in North America. Frontman Geddy Lee picks out his favourite songs from their back catalogue -
The Rwanda-born dancer, who grew up in south London, helped create the most talked-about video of the year
News A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie tops US album chart with record low of 823 sales