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04 Dec 2024

Taylor Swift’s ‘Childless Cat Lady’ Post Tops Yale University List of 2024’s Most Notable Quotes

It’s the end of the year, so that means it’s time to see what lists Taylor Swift is topping as we all reflect on 2024. And, no surprise, the singer who has dominated the charts, the box office, touring and our bookshelves over the past 12 months is at the pole position on yet another year-end tally.

According to the Associated Press, Yale University’s list of 2024’s most notable quotations is, of course, ruled by Swift’s quip endorsing failed Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. As you might recall, kitty lover Swift threw her fedora in the ring for Harris in an Instagram post in September that she signed “Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady.”

The zinger was a response to a comment made by Vice President-elect JD Vance several years ago, when he described Democrats as being beholden to “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

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Number two on the list was President Biden’s Dec. 1 announcement that he’s pardoning his son Hunter — “Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter” — followed by a false claim from President-elect Donald Trump during his only debate with Harris. “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats,” Trump said, boosting an untrue rumor spread by his campaign about Haitian immigrants in the small Ohio town that resulted in a number of bomb threats, harassment and the cancellation of school days for children in the city.

Trump was also at No. 5 on the list with his “Fight! Fight! Fight!” rallying cry after his ear was grazed by a bullet during a rally in Butler, PA. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, slipped into the No. 4 slot with his misstatement “I’ve become friends with school shooters,” after trying to refer to befriending school shooting survivors.

“Please note that the items on this list are not necessarily eloquent or admirable quotations, rather they have been picked because they are famous or important or particularly revealing of the spirit of our times,” said the annual list’s curator, Fred Shapiro, associate director at the Yale Law Library.

Right wing Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s October post falsely claiming “Yes they can control the weather,” in reference to her endorsement of a conspiracy theory claiming that the government used weather control technology to aim Hurricane Helene at Republican voters was at No. 6, followed by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harris Butker’s May 11, commencement address at Benedictine College in Kansas in which he told women that they “may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

04 Dec 2024

FloyyMenor and Cris MJ’s ‘Gata Only’ Is TikTok’s Top Song of 2024

FloyyMenor and Cris MJ‘s “Gata Only” was the top song on TikTok globally in 2024. “Gata Only” also cracked the top 10 in the U.S., according to the platform’s announcement on Wednesday (Dec. 4), although Tommy Richman‘s “MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS)” was the biggest TikTok song stateside. 

Catalog songs did not appear to perform as well on the app in 2024. In the U.S., almost every one of the top tracks was new, with the exception of Blood Orange’s “Champagne Coast,” a gauzy, yearning cut from 2011.  

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In 2022, in contrast, catalog accounted for four of the top 10 songs in the U.S.: Pharrell’s “Just A Cloud Away,” Labrinth’s “Forever,” WILLOW’s “Wait a Minute!” and Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).” And in 2023, older songs like Justine Sky’s “Collide,” PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Her Way,” and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” were embraced by TikTok users, rocketing into the platform’s top 10.

At the same time, sped-up tracks did not have as much success on TikTok as they have had in the past, despite other streaming platforms’ growing interest in trying to tap into the sped-up craze. In 2023 in particular, the four most popular songs on TikTok in the U.S. were all sped-up. But this year, no sped-up songs appeared in the top 10 Stateside — or in the U.K., or in the global ranking.

“Gata Only” initially became popular in Chile — Floyymenor’s home — before spreading to Mexico, Argentina, and the rest of Latin America, according to Mike Weiss, head of A&R at UnitedMasters, which signed the singer. “After the regional growth, TikTok became the springboard that pushed the song into the U.S.,” Weiss continues. “The real moment when non-Spanish speakers started using the sound with videos like ‘POV: You don’t speak Spanish but can’t stop listening to this song.’”

That trend was soon launching 30,000 videos per day. “Next thing we knew,” Weiss says, “‘Gata Only’ was huge in Italy, France, and everywhere around the world, even places where you wouldn’t expect a Spanish language song to explode.”

Alongside FloyyMenor’s breakout single, other major hits on TikTok in the U.S. include Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival” and Lay Bankz’s “Tell Ur Girlfriend.” Along with “Champagne Coast” and “Million Dollar Baby,” this means that half of the Top 10 were releases from independent labels. (Though parts of the indie community currently have a contentious relationship with TikTok.) 

“Tell Ur Girlfriend” went viral in part thanks to a dance trend — a throwback to an earlier time on TikTok. “These young girls made this amazing dance, and we started to spend heavily on it, having influencers do it,” recalls Alec Henderson, head of digital at Artist Partner Group, which signed Bankz. “Most of last year and the first half of this year, dancing was not what was popular on TikTok anymore. This one brought that nostalgia-dancing thing back to life.”

Bankz, FloyyMenor, and Richman were dominant in the U.S. and also appeared in the top 10 globally. Billie Eilish was the only other artist to manage this, with her  glossy hit “Birds of a Feather.” 

U.S. Top 10 TikTok Songs:
“MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS)” – Tommy Richman
“CARNIVAL” – ¥$ & Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign feat. Rich The Kid & Playboi Carti
“Tell Ur Girlfriend” – Lay Bankz
“Type Shit” – Future & Metro Boomin & Travis Scott & Playboi Carti
“Never Lose Me” – Flo Milli
“Champagne Coast” – Blood Orange
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Billie Eilish
“Magic Johnson” – ian
“TGIF”- GloRilla
“Gata Only” – FloyyMenor & Cris MJ

Global Top 10 TikTok Songs:
“Gata Only” – FloyyMenor & Cris MJ
“Pedro” – Jaxomy & Agatino Romero & Raffaella Carrà
“Alibi” – Sevdaliza feat. Pabllo Vittar & Yseult
“MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS)” – Tommy Richman
“Tell Ur Girlfriend” – Lay Bankz
“La Diabla” – Xavi
“Nasty” – Tinashe
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Billie Eilish
“Forever Young” – Alphaville
“Beautiful Things” – Benson Boone

04 Dec 2024

Nia Archives on Revitalizing U.K. Jungle and the Importance of Staying True to Yourself

The vibrant, graffiti-washed streets of Shoreditch form the nexus of Nia Archives’ world. Teeming with a mix of giddy twentysomethings and bankers looking to dance and release pressure at kitschy nightclubs, the east London neighborhood has been pivotal to the 25-year-old’s rise since she first moved from Manchester to the capital three years ago.

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Between hosting raves at pubs, rooftop dance parties and a local multi-arts space, Archives has immersed herself in every community hub or wild Shoreditch has offered her. Last year, her close affinity with the area was immortalised in mural, when an 80-square-meter image of Archives was created to celebrate the release of her third EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall.

Eighteen months on, when the Bradford-born artist dials in for her Billboard UK interview, her apartment stretches out behind her on our Zoom call. Every inch of visible wall space has art on it, from a framed cover of Aphex Twin’s Windowlicker LP to a ‘Pour Yourself a Junglist’ print, in homage to the iconic Guinness Toucan advertising campaign. 

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Like her winsome take on jungle, it is decorated with curiosities across varying aesthetics, but the space looks invitingly lived-in. Archives, born Dehaney Nia Lishahn Hunt, released her debut album, Silence Is Loud, via Island Records in April, which peaked at No. 16 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart before earning a nomination for the prestigious Mercury Prize. The 13-track collection documents her in a state of messy uncertainty. Themes including complex familial bonds and self-esteem are layered over elements of pop, indie and drum ‘n’ bass, broadening her sound without sacrificing brevity. 

Archives debuted as a soft-spoken but animated producer with her first single “Sober Feels” in 2020. She has since gone on to have a tectonic impact on U.K. jungle, introducing a new generation of music fans to the genre while also being commissioned for remixes by stars including Fred again.., Jamie xx and Jorja Smith. On Nov. 8, she played a rapturous set at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, which saw her taking on more vocal duties than ever before, skipping around the stage with excitement as she rocked the mic.

Her ascent is built on deep foundations – leaving home at 16, parental estrangement, finding her voice as a songwriter. But by taking a zealously hands-on approach to everything she does, Archives’ followers have continued to turn to her emphatic, euphoric music in troubling times. Back in east London, Archives beams as she tells Billboard UK how she is “surrounded by love”; her closest friends live on the same street, and she is enjoying some downtime after recent tours across the U.K. and Europe. 

Fittingly, Silence Is Loud trades in the dizziness and angst of Archives’ earlier music for soaring serenity. Though she still sings about forgiveness and her own resilience, it’s now with the remove of a successful musician that’s conquered an uphill climb to get to where they are today.

Having toured relentlessly in the past few months, how does it feel to finally adjust back to reality?

I do love being on the road, but when I’m away, I really miss my house and my friends. I’m really happy to be back to seeing people, going out and doing things – I’ve got to live life so that I have something to talk about. I’m very happy to be in that mode at the moment. In the past year, I’ve also tried to work out what I want my personal space to look like as being on tour all the time is so disruptive. When I come home, I want to feel calm.

I’m really enjoying life at the moment. I’ve been boozing and reconnecting with friends that I may have lost contact with. When you’re busy playing shows, you don’t always get to speak to everyone all the time so I’ve been trying to be more present in my loved ones’ lives.

What is the emotional exchange between you and the audience like now that you’re not chained to the decks so much in your live shows?

Because I have played so many festivals this year, during these headline shows, it’s been nice to play to rooms of people who really know my music. I do enjoy a festival crowd because I see it as a challenge to win over new listeners but I love seeing people really vibe with the tunes. The audience reactions have been quite mad; I’ll be DJing, then I’ll move away to start singing and feel really connected to people. 

We have elevated the set visually too, and I’m really happy with how it has all turned out. I have spotted a lot of moshpits during my shows, which I never expected – it’s quite overstimulating doing what I do! Also, I’ve got really bad eyesight which means I can’t see that far into the crowd but I know that all the vibe controllers are down the front anyway. I love it.

Silence Is Loud introduced your music to more people than ever before. Do you feel like you’ve crossed a threshold, in that regard?

I don’t know. I really love my album, but I will say making an album in 2024 is so anti-climatic. You know, I’m proud of what I’ve done, but I recently saw Goldie say that when he made [1994’s] Inner City Life, people didn’t get it at the time and it only became what it was years later. I feel like that might ring true with my album as well, to be honest.

How do you think the reaction to the album differed to what you had anticipated?

I’m already doing quite a niche thing, which is jungle music. And then I have my own specific take on it, which is bringing in all these different sounds to the genre while I’m singing about my life as well. It’s quite fresh. I think people don’t always understand something new straight away, so I think it’s a bit of a grower. That happens quite a lot with dance music, where songs often become hits years after they are released.

Why do you feel so attracted to telling the story of your life in your music?

I had never really spoken about my life before, and I thought my debut album would be a good way to have a “planting my flag in the sand” moment. Like, my name is Nia Archives and I am making an archive of my life stories. If I have done anything in my life, I have made this album and it’s told the world about who I am, what my story is, and what I am interested in. Album one had to be really real to me: it had to represent who I am and where I come from, and I felt like I only had one chance to do that.

Honestly, I just wrote a lot of songs and tried to sing them as best I could. I don’t think I’m like the best vocalist in the world, but I don’t think I’m the worst. I’m not a f–king powerhouse, Adele-style singer, but I’ve got a lot of charm in what I do.

Did being so vulnerable in your songwriting present any new challenges during the album creation process?

There’s one song [“F.A.M.I.L.Y”] that I didn’t want to put on my album, but my label and manager really wanted that to be the lead single. And I was like, “I don’t want to do that, because that’s such an embarrassing song.” But I’m glad to put it on there because you know what, people that come up to me at shows and tell me they really relate to the song.

Your album has been attributed with bringing jungle sounds and aesthetics to a new audience, serving as a gateway for a lot of people. In what ways has your own relationship with the genre evolved?

My relationship with jungle has honestly grown so much. Hanging out with Goldie has been amazing, he’s become a proper presence in my life. I’ve needed it. He understands what I’m going through and what I’m doing with my music. Also, it has been nice just reconnecting with loads of people from the jungle scene. I’ve got really good relationships with everybody.

In the background, for 2025, I’m looking to put on and work with some new-gen junglists, people that are younger than me. I’m going to Bristol, I’m hanging out with people in Manchester – I want to help new artists coming through. I’m just quite excited, really, and I’m definitely feeling stronger in my love for jungle once again.

What do you see as the big changes in dance music as of late?

Dance music is definitely one of the biggest genres in the world right now. I’ve traveled all over the world and seen people of all ages and from all walks of life enjoying themselves to different DJs’ sets. That post-COVID party boom continues, I think: Charli XCX is huge and rave sounds are everywhere. I’m super happy to be part of it and to also see my friends doing so well.

On the flipside, you can tell who went out [clubbing] before the pandemic and who only started after, right? That’s not being disrespectful, but for the younger ones, the core years of their lives were taken away and they’re still figuring out how to experience live music. I’m not really into berating them or making them feel bad – I just want to encourage them to dance and to not worry about their phones.

​​How have you dealt with the way your life has changed this past year?

So much has happened these past few months that it still feels like a blur! Like, I still can’t believe that I was able to take my album to Japan and play it out there. It was so cool to see such an enthusiastic reaction to jungle music on the other side of the world – it makes me so excited to see the genre go global. There’s so much left on the bucket list, too. I feel like I’ve only just started and I have so many dreams that I hope to achieve with my second album.

04 Dec 2024

Amy Adams Recalls Time She Did Karaoke With Taylor Swift and It Didn’t Go Well: ‘I Sang Really Loud Over Taylor Swift’

Amy Adams has always liked and appreciated Taylor Swift‘s music. But then the Nightbitch star went to see the Eras Tour, she proudly became “a Swiftie at 50,” the star told Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday’s (Dec. 3) Tonight Show. “I’m a Swiftie at 50, so I’m like a shifty 50 Swiftie… and I’m like ‘isn’t that nifty?’ And now my daughter’s going, ‘Ooh, I hate this for you.’”

Adams said the Eras experience was so profound that she went from “normal” to “‘I’ll take all the friendship bracelets!’”

When Fallon asked if Adams had ever met the singer, the Golden Globe winner said they did cross paths years ago at an awards show afterparty, where they sang karaoke together. In fact, they did a duet on 4 Non Blondes’ signature 1993 hit “What’s Up,” during Adams committed the ultimate karaoke faux pas.

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“And I may have… uh… sang it a little loud,” Adams admitted. “And I’m sure everybody was like, ‘Amy, shut up! Like, we want to hear Taylor sing.’ I was just in it.”

“The one that goes ‘hey, yeah, yeah, yeah’? You went for it? That one?” Fallon asked.

“I did,” Adams said. “When someone does that at karaoke I let them go,” Fallon said.

“But I should have sat down and just let Taylor sing,” Adams realized. “I had a blast. Now, in reflection, if I were to do it now I’d be so different I would like to think… I did the right thing. I sang really loud over Taylor Swift… and probably not great, either.”

Fallon also mentioned that there’s a long-running internet campaign suggesting that the six-time Oscar nominee would be the perfect choice to play Swift’s publicist, Tree Paine, in a biopic. “Uh, that would be amazing,” said Adams, whose red hair is a shade darker than Paine’s signature flame mane. Fallon then help up a tweet that said “Amy Adams will win an Oscar for Tree Paine’s biopic.”

“That would be so fun,” said Adams, mother to a 14-year-old daughter who (see above) she noted is now not embarrassed by her mom, but more embarrassed for her mom. “If it got me closer to Taylor then that would be fun,” Adams said.

Adams’ Nightbitch opens in theaters on Friday (Dec. 6).

Watch Amy Adams describe shouting over Taylor Swift during karaoke below.

04 Dec 2024

Taylor Swift Is Spotify’s Biggest Artist of 2024, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ Most-Streamed Song

This year’s Spotify Wrapped rolled out Wednesday morning (Dec. 4), revealing that Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and more dominated the streaming service in 2024.

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The “Fortnight” singer closes out a banner year as 2024’s most-streamed artist, generating more than 26.6 billion streams globally. In second place among artists was The Weeknd, followed in order by Bad Bunny, Drake and Billie Eilish.

To celebrate Swift’s achievement — which makes her Spotify’s most-streamed artist for two years in a row — the platform has implemented a special Wrapped badge on her profile as well as introduced custom animations corresponding with her music, including sparkles to match Fearless (Taylor’s Version), seagulls for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and more.

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The 14-time Grammy winner also had Spotify’s top-streamed album of the year with 15-week Billboard 200-topper The Tortured Poets Department, which was also Apple Music’s biggest album of 2024. On Spotify, the second-place album was Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, followed respectively by the “Please Please Please” singer’s Short n’ Sweet, Karol G’s MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO and Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine. All five of the app’s top albums spent time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and all five of them, it’s worth celebrating, were turned in by female artists.

As for most-streamed songs, Carpenter’s “Espresso” garnered the most listens globally in 2024, racking up more than 1.6 billion streams. Behind it came Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” FloyyMenor and Cris Mj’s “Gata Only” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control.”

Plus, Spotify shared its most-streamed podcast this year — The Joe Rogan Experience — and most-listened audio book, which was Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Like in years past, Spotify Wrapped is also now allowing individual users to view their own top-listened artists and songs via shareable data cards. In 2024, they can access “Musical Evolution” features as well, showing how their distinct moods and tastes changed over that past 11 months with Spotify-generated descriptors and a personalized playlist.

Also new is a “Longest Listening Streak” feature that accompanies users’ favorite artists of the year. A returning favorite is the “Top Listeners” feature, revealing which percentage of listeners fans were in for their favorite artists — and the most loyal ones will receive special videos from stars such as Peso Pluma, ROSÉ, Billie Eilish, Usher, Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G and more.

04 Dec 2024

Zayn Malik Cancels Newcastle Gig Minutes Before Stage Time

Zayn Malik canceled a solo gig in Newcastle, England just minutes before showtime on Tuesday night (Dec. 3).

In the past few weeks the former One Direction member has embarked on a solo tour throughout the U.K., his first headline run of shows since leaving the pop group in 2015.

Metro reported that an announcement was made to fans inside the Newcastle City Hall venue about the last-minute cancellation. “The show will no longer go ahead tonight. We apologise for the late notice, it was his hope that he would be able to continue with the show. But this is no longer possible,” fans were told.

“Please contact your point of purchase for rescheduling or refunds. If you have parents or guardians collecting you, please stay in the auditorium and wait to be collected.”

Zayn shared a statement on his Instagram Stories and said the reason for cancellation was ill health. “I’m so sorry to do this but my voice just isn’t there at all tonight and without it there’s no show,” he said. “I’m truly sorry to let you down, especially at such short notice… l held onto hope until the very last moment. I’m hopeful with some rest tonight to be back on stage tomorrow. My deepest apologies Newcastle love you all xx”

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Malik is due to play in Manchester on Wednesday (Dec. 4) with dates set to follow at the O2 Academy in Edinburgh, Scotland later this week (Dec. 8, 9).

The tour has already seen Malik play dates in Leeds, London, and Wolverhampton. Following the sudden death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne in October, the run’s opening dates in Edinburgh were postponed from Nov. 20 and 21 to December. 

Malik and his former 1D bandmates attended Payne’s funeral on Nov. 20, and he paid tribute to Payne at his performance in Leeds with an on-stage message that read “love you bro” alongside his late bandmate’s birth and death dates. The tour is set to continue into North America in January 2025, with dates in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

04 Dec 2024

Jan Dan Delivers Last-Chance Performance of John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ on ‘The Voice’

Jan Dan, the talented Newark-born contestant on The Voice, made his final stand during the Dec. 4 live shows with a powerful rendition of John Mayer’s “Gravity.”

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Competing for the coveted Instant Save, Dan’s soulful performance impressed the audience and judges, but ultimately, it wasn’t enough to secure him a spot in the top five.

Dan’s heartfelt take on the 2005 ballad was a showcase of vulnerability and raw talent. “Gravity,” a song that earned Mayer a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, provided the perfect canvas for Dan’s expressive voice and emotional connection. The song’s history on the Billboard charts—including a peak at No. 18 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart in 2007—underscored its significance as a timeless anthem of struggle and resilience.

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Though the audience ultimately voted Danny Joseph from Team Reba into the final five, Dan left the stage with a message of gratitude. “Gwen, I love you. You’ve helped me evolve as an artist and a person,” he said, reflecting on his journey from a budding talent to a standout performer.

Gwen returned the love, saying, “You keep surprising me. It’s true, you have broken out of your shell. It’s crazy, you’ve got the swag, you’re sexy. Everything about that performance you just did, you’re moving people because you’re an artist. You’re really a true artist that just has a vision for yourself and you keep going towards that vision no matter what happens next, because I do believe in you. You’re so talented.”

A father to a newborn daughter, Nori Arabella, Dan often spoke of her as his inspiration throughout the competition. Balancing fatherhood with his pursuit of musical success, he delivered standout performances, including a duet of “Roxanne” with Adam Bohanan, featuring Sting himself on bass.

Mayer’s track “Gravity” has had a notable impact on the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 18 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart in 2007 and holding its place for 12 weeks. It also appeared on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 list, where it reached No. 20 in 2006.

Watch Jan Dan’s powerful final performance on The Voice here.

04 Dec 2024

Kankawa Nagarra Wins 20th Soundmerch Australian Music Prize for ‘Wirlarni’

Kankawa Nagarra, the Queen of the Bandaral Ngadu and a Walmatjarri Elder, has been named the winner of the 20th Soundmerch Australian Music Prize (AMP) for her debut album Wirlmarni.

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The recognition highlights the album’s cultural depth and emotional resonance, blending Aboriginal blues, country, and gospel with Nagarra’s powerful storytelling.

The album’s title, Wirlmarni, meaning “disappearing,” reflects themes of loss, resilience, and cultural preservation. Recorded on her ancestral lands, it features natural community sounds and raw compositions, including the poignant title track, a duet with Archer.

In her acceptance speech, Nagarra expressed pride in her achievement and the impact it will have on her community in Wangkatjungka, particularly on the school and children she hopes to inspire as a role model. She dedicated the award to her “future ancestors.”

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“I am so thrilled and proud to receive this award. Thankyou so much to AMP. Coming from the remote community of Wangkatjungka which in the past has been shown in a negative light with the focus on the issues and problems,” Nagarra said.

“People don’t often get to see the beautiful and positive aspects of my home and I know this award brings much pride to the people of Wangkatjungka, especially to the school and all the children who I hope to be a role model for.  I dedicate this award to all my little Greats with a special mention to Tykrira Wilson who stands with me on the cover of the album. I love them all very much. They are my future ancestors. 

The AMP judges praised Wirlmarni for its authenticity and profound connection to Australia’s heritage. Nagarra emphasized that the album’s production is deeply rooted in ancestral traditions, calling it “thousands of years in the making.”

AMP founder Scott Murphy described the judging process as challenging but ultimately rewarding, calling Wirlmarni a deserving winner, saying, “The judges met this morning, face-to-face, to decide that the very deserving Wirlmarni by Kankawa would win the prize. It wasn’t a quick and easy decision to make – there were nine great albums, all quite diverse, all with judge support. Congratulations, Kankawa, on winning our 20th prize!”

Inspired by the U.K.’s Mercury Prize, the AMP focuses exclusively on artistic merit, recognizing albums that transcend commercial considerations. This year’s competition featured over 600 eligible albums, narrowed to a shortlist of nine, showcasing the diversity of Australian music. Other nominees included Hiatus Kaiyote, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and Dobby.

Born on Gooniyandi and Walmatjarri land, Nagarra’s music blends traditional sounds with contemporary influences, delivering songs in Kriol, English, and traditional languages. Her work highlights the intersection of nature, culture, and music, reinforcing her message of environmental and cultural responsibility.

Kankawa Nagarra joins a prestigious lineup of past AMP winners, including Genesis Owusu, Sampa the Great, and The Avalanches. Nagarra’s victory not only cements her place in Australian music history but also amplifies the voices and stories of her remote community on a global stage.

Listen to Wirlmarni below.

04 Dec 2024

Falling In Reverse Cancel U.K. Tour After Ronnie Radke’s Visa is Denied

Falling In Reverse have been forced to postpone its highly anticipated U.K. tour after frontman Ronnie Radke was denied a visa due to his criminal history.

The tour, set to kick off in December 2024, was expected to be the band’s biggest yet in the region, with sold-out shows planned across major venues. However, the U.K. Home Office’s strict visa regulations have halted those plans, citing Radke’s prior conviction and prison sentence as grounds for denial.

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The band addressed the situation via social media, stating that Radke’s past continues to impact their ability to tour internationally.

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“We regret to announce that the home office has denied Ronnie’s visa application for the remaining 2024 U.K. shows… The U.K. is currently refusing entry to visa applicants who served more than 12 months prison time, as Ronnie did in 2008,” the statement on their Instagram story read.

“Therefore, we will not be able to come to the U.K. this month to perform the shows we were greatly looking forward to. We will be postponing the shows to next year while we continue to work through this issue legally to obtain the necessary visa.”

Radke’s legal troubles trace back to a 2006 altercation in Nevada that led to the death of 18-year-old Michael Cook. While Radke was not directly involved in the fatal act, his participation in the fight resulted in a probation sentence.

In 2008, he violated that probation, serving over a year in prison. Despite his efforts to rebuild his career and reputation, the fallout from these events continues to cast a shadow over the band’s touring ambitions, particularly in countries with stringent visa policies like the U.K.

The postponement is the latest in a series of disruptions for Falling In Reverse’s European tour. Recent cancellations, including a Vienna date, were attributed to “production-related logistical issues,” though fans expressed frustration over the lack of clarity. Radke’s abrasive response to a fan inquiry about the Vienna cancellation—telling them to “go eat a f—ing Vienna sausage and shut the f— up”—did little to diffuse tensions.

Additionally, the band was recently dropped from Austria’s Nova Rock Festival 2025 lineup, fueling speculation about ongoing friction between the band and European promoters.

Despite the setbacks, Falling In Reverse is still scheduled to tour Australia in March 2025, with no current signs of disruption. The band are also set to perform shows in Germany and Belgium in June.

For now, U.K. fans will have to wait until 2025 for another opportunity to see Falling In Reverse live.

Earlier this year, Falling In Reverse’s latest album Popular Monster secured the top spot on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums for the first time and marked the band’s first release since 2017. The band charted four prior entries on Top Hard Rock Albums, all of which debuted and peaked at No. 2: The Drug in Me Is You (2011), Fashionably Late (2013), Just Like You (2015) and Coming Home (2017).

03 Dec 2024

British Band Sports Team Robbed at Gunpoint in California as U.S. Tour Begins

British alternative rock band Sports Team have had an unfortunate start to their latest U.S. tour, having been reportedly robbed at gunpoint.

Per a press release, the incident occurred around 8am on Tuesday (Dec. 3) at a Starbucks in Vallejo, CA outside of San Francisco. Having launched their west coast tour the night before with a show at San Francisco’s Kilowatt, the band’s brief stop was interrupted by an onlooker alerting them that their tour van was being ransacked and robbed.

“The band attempted to intervene but were met with a gun being brandished and took cover,” the press release explained. “The band called the police, and were shocked to hear they would not attend the scene of the crime.

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“Instead, they were told by police to file a report online, which they have done. Laptops, personal items, passports and other valuables were stolen.”

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The group also shared footage of the incident on social media, adding their own account of how it unfolded as well.

“Stopped for coffee. Man runs in saying some guys are smashing into a van,” they wrote. “Ran out to try to stop it and find masked guys ransacking the van. Start yelling and they pull out a gun. Police response was ‘submit an online report.’ Lost a lot of personal gear, but they didn’t get the instruments so driving on to Sacramento to play tonight.

“They can take our Nintendo Switches but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways. In all seriousness pretty shocking how resigned everyone seemed to be to it. ‘It happens’. 9am at some petrol station Starbucks. Wild.”

Sports Team are continuing their current tour, performing in Sacramento later on Tuesday evening. The band are touring in the lead-up to their forthcoming album, Boys These Days, which is scheduled to arrive on Feb. 25. It’s the band’s second visit to the U.S. this year, having performed a handful of east coast dates in early November.