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Entering London’s evocative Electric Ballroom last night (Jan. 5), we surpassed a queue snaking down two blocks of Camden High Street. The space, which opened in 1978 and typically hosts live acts, suited the surprise event surprisingly well. Perched on the balcony above, we had a clear view to overlook the interaction between the three rather unexpected friends on the bill: Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred again…
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We arrived at 9 p.m. and the crowd was already oozing peak-time enthusiasm. The excitement was obvious, and rightly so — the show had sold out within 10 minutes of being announced via the artists’ Instagram stories hours before the show. (Rather adorably, Fred also posted a story of himself slipping into Skrillex’s hotel yesterday and waking up the sleeping producer, who’d just arrived from L.A., so he could get up and post the event to his own IG.)
There was no support act last night, just a four hour back-to-back between the three artists. Together, the trio have a web of collaborations between them — with U.K. master Four Tet working on Fred again..’s June 2022 track “Jungle” and the 2021 Skrillex and Starrah collab “Butterflies,” and the dance scene’s premier ascendent star Fred collaborating with Skrillex on “Rumble,” released the day before the show (Jan. 5) as the Skrillex hype machine fires to life ahead of his forthcoming album.
Last night, the collision of the three artists’ styles was apparent from the jump; throughout the night you could confidently guess who was behind the selection of each track.
The hosts regularly interacted with the eager, Thursday night crowd, checking in by throwing a singular cordless mic between each other. At one point, Fred jumped on to the mic to ask, “Do you all have enough room to dance?” His rhetorical question was answered by squeals and screams — not dissimilar to hysterical fans at a boy band concert. The sea of people rippled as one, as people stayed put on the dancefloor for the entire set.
At around 9.30pm, a vocal from Disney’s Frozen‘s famous “Let It Go” was laid over the familiar growls and thrums of Skrillex’s signature sound. This was a foreshadowing of the rest of the evening; after all, this clash of styles was bound to present the dancers with some curveballs — we came knowing to expect the unexpected. With the crowd putty in their hands from early on, the three DJs made the most of their playful selections.
Skrillex, a.k.a. Sonny Moore, was bounding around the stage during the performance, hyping up the crowd from the table that also hosted the decks. Below him, Fred and Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) slinked between each other, achieving almost seamless transition between their staple sounds.
The crowd fizzed when any Fred again.. tune was about to be brought in. It perfectly demonstrated his fans’ loyal and impressive knowledge of his back catalogue; tracks such as “Hannah (the sun)” and “Strong” were warmly received. Phone screens peaked up through the sea of heads, as everyone wanted to capture their favorite Fred track.
Four Tet’s recognizable, ethereal vocals blended with grinding bass excited the older, headsier side of the crowd — as the Skrillex sound brought the millennials in the audience right back to our teenage years. This was certainly a whirlpool of old and new, a melting pot of sounds and cultures, a combination of flamboyant American excitement and quiet British confidence. Skrillex even informed the crowd that he had put some money behind the bar, making it very apparent they were hosting what felt like a huge house party.
Bringing us back to the present day, PinkPantheress’ TikTok hit “Just for Me” caused a wave of joy, teased ahead of the release of Skrillex’s own collaboration with the U.K. star and Trippie Redd, “Way Back,” which landed last night as the show was happening. Although many may recognize Skrillex as an artist who was an early influence for many current dance fans, this new release further demonstrates his ability to evolve successfully and authentically, collaborating with fresh and exciting talent here across the pond.
Whether this unlikely trio continue their seemingly unstoppable ascent, or if yesterday’s event was just one of those crazy nights of legend, the collective fanbase of these three huge acts is indisputable. In an age where artists can interact with their fans more closely than ever before, there was a knowing intimacy between the audience and the three conductors that felt like a new wave of dance music fandom.
Tracks featured:
Fred again…, “Hannah (the Sun)“Eskuche, “Passion” (Extended Mix)Hamdi , “Never Let You Go Edit” (Original by Sammy Virji)Romy & Fred again.., “Strong“KH, “Looking at Your Pager”Hackney Parrot, “Tessela” (Remix)PinkPantheress, “Just for Me“Skrillex, “Cinema“Adam F, “Circles” (Pola & Bryson Bootleg)Fred again.., Four Tet & Skrillex, “Baby Again..“Fred again.., “Jungle” Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan, “Rumble”
Flo are crowned winners of the BBC’s Sound of 2023, an annual poll that identifies the next big thing in music.
The British R&B trio — Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma and Jorja Douglas — was formed in 2019 and signed the following year to Island Records, a division of Universal Music Group.
Their debut single, “Cardboard Box,” dropped last March and was followed in July by EP The Lead.
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Subsequent appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and the BBC’s Later… With Jools Holland confirmed their talent with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
Flo’s message is “to be strong in yourself, to be confident,” the group tells the BBC.
“There is female empowerment – but everyone who listens should feel supported, inspired, independent,” says Quaresma. “We want them to feel the way music used to make us feel.”
The Sound Of 2023 was voted on by a 130-strong music industry panel, which included former nominees Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Sam Smith and Foals.
With the Corporation’s seal of approval, Flo joins an elite circle of winners which includes Adele, Sam Smith, Haim, Ellie Goulding, Sigrid and last year’s winner, PinkPantheress.
Producer Fred Again (real name Fred Gibson) is runner-up in the 2023 list, which was open to new artists yet to achieve a top five album or more than two top 10 singles by Oct. 31 2022. Those artists who had appeared on reality TV shows within the past three years were ineligible for the competition.
The competition was open to new artists who had yet to achieve a top five album or more than two top 10 singles by Oct. 31, 2022. Artists who had appeared on TV talent shows within the last three years were ineligible.
The BBC Music Sound of 2023 top five:
Flo
Fred Again
Nia Archives
Cat Burns
Gabriels
It’s a New Year, Christmas songs perform their disappearing act for another time, and “Unholy” is back on top in Australia.
Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ global hit lifts 13-1 on the ARIA Chart, published Jan. 6, for its fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1.
The 2023 rebirth of “Unholy” (Capitol/EMI) closely follows the announcement that Petras will headline Sydney WorldPride’s closing concert, Rainbow Republic, on March 5, and comes ahead of Smith’s intimate performance at McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg Cube in Adelaide.
“Unholy” leads a fresh top 10 on the ARIA Singles Chart, as Xmas tunes tumble out of sight.
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SZA‘s “Kill Bill” (RCA/Sony) vaults 12-2, while former leader “I’m Good (Blue)” (Warner) by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha leaps 25-3.
Meanwhile, British singer and songwriter Raye enjoys a new chart peak with “Escapism” (Orchard), up 26-7. “Escapism,” which represents a new, independent era for the rising artist, was the top single on the midweek U.K. chart.
Following the publication of ARIA’s year-end charts, which saw Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (Columbia/Sony) coming in at No. 1 for 2022, the Harry’s House number is once again on the rise. “As It Was” lifts 34-9 on the weekly survey.
Just one single makes its debut in the top 40 on the new chart, Dutch DJ Tiesto’s collaboration with Canadian singer-songwriter Tate McRae, “10:35” (Sony/Warner). It’s new at No. 24.
The top album for 2022, ARIA reported earlier in the week, is Taylor Swift’s Midnights (Universal). Swift’s tenth and latest studio album holds at No. 1 on the latest ARIA Chart, for its ninth non-consecutive week at the summit. It’s one of five Swift albums currently in the top 40.
Legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto has signed on to write the music for Palme d’Or-winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s forthcoming feature film Monster (Kaibutsu), Tokyo-based production company Gaga Corporation revealed Thursday.
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Sakamoto will provide newly written compositions as well as some of his pre-existing music for the film, producers say. A musical polymath, Sakamoto made his film debut with the iconic score for Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), starring David Bowie. He later won an Oscar with his music for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987) and a Golden Globe nomination for his compositions for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant (2015). The partnership with Kore-eda marks his first work on a high-profile Japanese title in some time.
Monster is also Kore-eda’s first Japanese film since he won the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2018 with Shoplifters. It follows the director’s French film The Truth, which opened the Venice Film Festival in 2019, and his Korean title Broker, released earlier this year.
Story details for Monster are being kept under wraps, but Gaga revealed Thursday that Sakura Ando, the breakout star of Shoplifters, will lead the new film’s cast. Rounding out the cast are Nagayama Eita (Hokusai), Mitsuki Takahata (Japanese Girls Never Die), Akihiro Kakuta (Spring Has Come), Shido Nakamura (Twisted Justice), Yuko Tanaka (Midnight Diner), and child actors Soya Kurokawa and Hinata Hiiragi.
Currently in postproduction, Monster will release in Japan on June 2. The release date sets the film up for a potential world premiere in May at Cannes, where Kore-eda is a regular.
Monster will be the second movie directed by Kore-eda that he didn’t also write himself, following Maborosi, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival way back in 1995. The new film is scripted by Yuji Sakamoto, the writer of such Japanese TV series hits Mother, Woman and Matrimonial Chaos. Prolific writer-director Genki Kawamura, whose directorial effort A Hundred Flowers recently won best director at the San Sebastián festival, is lead producer of Monster.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
With beloved danceable tracks like “TWIST & TURN” and “ALL I NEED” under their belts, fans know exactly what to expect when Popcaan and Drake get together. Their latest release “We Caa Done” is no exception to the rule.
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The dancehall phenom teased his and Drizzy’s new cut in a preview snippet via Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 4), and unveiled the cover art for his upcoming fifth studio album Great Is He via OVO Sound, showing the Jamaican artist in 19th-century threads with a pensive expression. “New year, new Gear, new blessings, new money, new music! #GIHE,” the caption reads.
“We Caa Done” is co-produced by TRESOR and Batundi and accompanied by a visual directed by OVO mainstay Theo Skudra, shot in the beautiful island scenery of Turks & Caicos. “‘We Caa Done’ is all about persevering,” Popcaan said in a statement. “We don’t think about limits. We’re living the life we’ve dreamed of, and despite what the haters and naysayers have to say, we will only be greater.”
Prior to the Drake-assisted single, Popcaan dropped single “Set It” and the love song “Next To Me,” featuring Ton-Ann Singh, in preparation for the upcoming album.
Popcaan enjoyed success with his last three albums, all peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard U.S. reggae chart.
It’s possible the music video was filmed back in August, when Drake and Popcaan went on a boys’ trip with fellow artist J. Cole and NBA star Kevin Durant to Turks & Caicos. The crew was seen riding jet skis and posing together by the water during their tropical festivities.
Watch “We Caa Done” and stream the new track below.
The new year comes with an endless amount of opportunities for new collaborations between Latin artists. Last year was packed with unprecedented collabs, such as Grupo Firme and Camilo — whose “Alaska” peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart — and Christina Aguilera and Ozuna‘s “Santo,” part of her Latin Grammy-winning album Aguilera.
While 2023 may have just started, we already have a few dream collabs in mind that we’d love to see happen over the year. For starters, ever since Karol G and RBD‘s Anahí took the stage together over the summer in Mexico City — where they performed the Mexican group’s anthem “Sálvame” — fans have hoped that there could be more to their team up. A new version of “Sálvame”? A whole new heartbreak track featuring Karol? After all, the Colombian hitmaker is a self-described RBD fan. And with news of RBD’s recently teased comeback, this could be the perfect moment for Karol and RBD to collaborate.
Meanwhile, Manuel Turizo‘s “La Bachata” has taken the world by storm — and even Coldplay‘s Chris Martin has acknowledged the song’s force, calling it “the best song at the moment in the world” during his concert in Bogotá, Colombia in September. After Martin gave the song its flowers, Turizo joined the band onstage to sing an acoustic version of his track, which peaked at No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart in October. Given that Martin is a big fan of Turizo and vice versa, it wouldn’t be totally wild if we saw the colombiano collaborating with Coldplay in the near future.
From Christian Nodal and Cazzu to Silvana Estrada and Ángela Álvarez, here are our Latin editors’ picks for dream collaborations in 2023:
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Rapper Theophilus London has been found safe after disappearing for months, a relative announced Wednesday night.
“We have found Theo. He is safe and well,” the rapper’s cousin, Mikhail Noel, posted on Instagram. “At this time the family would love prayers and privacy. Thank you all!!!”
The post didn’t provide details of where London had been found, where he had been or why he hadn’t contacted his family, which filed a missing persons report with Los Angeles police last week and asked for the public’s help in finding him.
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London’s family and friends had said they believed someone last spoke to the musician in July in Los Angeles.
London, 35, posted prolifically on Instagram, but his last posts also came in July.
An LAPD news release on Dec. 28 said London was last seen in the Skid Row area in October and his family had completely lost contact with him.
The rapper was born in Trinidad and Tobago and later raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York. He was nominated for a 2016 Grammy for best rap performance for a featured spot alongside Paul McCartney on Kanye West’s “All Day.”
London has frequently collaborated with the artist now known as Ye, who produced and guested on 2014′s “Vibes.” London would often post updates on Ye’s “Donda” and “Donda 2” on Instagram, even saying he was “promoted to tackle media duties” on Ye’s behalf for the month of February.
London has released three studio albums: 2011′s “Timez Are Weird These Days,” “Vibes” and 2020′s “Bebey.” He recently was a featured artist on Young Franco’s “Get Your Money,” released in September, the month before he was last seen.
This article originally appeared in AP.
Harry Styles really did own the keys to 2022. The British pop singer’s third studio album Harry’s House was the biggest LP of the year in the U.K., according to new data published by the Official Charts Company.
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The ex-One Direction singer leads the year-end albums survey with Harry’s House, which shifted north of 460,000 U.K. chart units over the year, including 160,000 sales (150,000 physical and 10,000 downloads), the OCC reports.
Harry’s House logged six non-consecutive weeks atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 2022, more than any other album, and the lead single from it, “As It Was,” tops the U.K.’s year-end singles survey.
Compatriot Ed Sheeran comes in at No. 2 on the year-end albums list with = (Equals), which snaffled upwards of 433,000 U.K. chart units during the calendar year. Sheeran has made a career habit of racking up big numbers. In November, the OCC announced all four of his solo studio albums — (Plus), x (Multiply), ÷ (Divide) and = (Equals) — had spent a total of at least a year inside the Official Albums Chart top 10.
Completing the 2022 podium is Taylor Swift’s Midnights, which, in less than three months, captured more than 417,000 U.K. chart sales, including 217,000 sales (206,000 physical copies and11,000 downloads). Midnights got away to a particularly explosive start. First-week U.K. chart sales exceeded 204,000, more than double her previous best, 2014’s 1989 (90,300 chart units).
It’s hard to keep a good thing down. That’s certainly the case with ABBA and Queen’s barnstorming career retrospective albums. ABBA Gold became the first album in U.K. chart history to log 1,000 weeks on the chart, a feat it achieved in July 2021. It’s still going strong. Powered by the ABBA Voyage virtual residency in London, the LP appears at No. 10 on the year-end U.K. chart. Indeed, Gold improves 20-13 on the latest Official U.K. Albums Chart, doing so in its 1,078 week.
Queen’s 1981 release Greatest Hits reached the 1,000-week milestone on the U.K. chart in 2022, and it finished the year in 11th place on the year-end tally. Greatest Hits is the best-selling album in U.K. recorded music history, shifting more than seven million combined units.
Music streaming reached new heights in 2022, the BPI reports. Across digital and physical formats, the equivalent of 166 million albums were streamed or purchased during the year, up 4.3% on 2021.
Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2022
Harry’s House, Harry Styles
=, Ed Sheeran
Midnights, Taylor Swift
The Highlights, The Weeknd
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo
Curtain Call – The Hits, Eminem
Diamonds, Elton John
50 Years – Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac
Between Us, Little Mix
Gold – Greatest Hits, ABBA
In the year that saw King Charles ascend the throne, it was Harry Styles who was crowned on the U.K. charts.
The pop superstar rules 2022’s year-end singles and albums charts, with “As It Was” and its parent, Harry’s House, respectively, according to new data published by the Official Charts Company.
Released in April 2022, “As It Was” reigned over the Official U.K. Singles Chart for 10 weeks, and went on to shift 1.57 million combined units, the OCC reports.
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“As It Was” also finished the year as the most-streamed song in the U.K., with more than 180.9 million audio and video streams, and it was the best-seller across combined physical and digital formats, raking-in 65,000 units.
The former One Direction singer leads an all-British sweep of the top 10 tracks of 2022 in the U.K. — a first in the 50-plus year history of the year-end singles chart.
Coming in at No. 2 on the Official Top 40 Biggest Singles of 2022 is Ed Sheeran “Bad Habits,” with 1.18 million chart units. “Bad Habits” was the No. 1 song in the U.K. in 2021.
Afrobeats star Fireboy DML lands at No. 3 with “Peru” (featuring Sheeran), BRITs Rising Star nominee Cat Burns is at No. 4 with “Go,” and Sheeran completes the top 5 with “Shivers.”
2022 was a remarkable year for Kate Bush and her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” which roared off the back of Netflix’ Stranger Things, in which is was synced to several pivotal moments. The song was embraced a new generation as it finally reached No. 1, some 37 years after its release. As it completed the path to the top, Bush broke a trio of records, including the longest journey a single to reach No. 1 in the U.K.
Also, notes the OCC, LadBaby bagged the fastest-selling single in its first week based on pure sales, “Food Aid,” which pulled-in more than 59,000 first-week sales. The charity fund-raising single was the most-downloaded song of the year, and a record-breaker, as it delivered the husband-and-wife Hoyle duo a fifth consecutive Christmas No. 1.
The OCC’s year-end reports are published as the BPI announces 159 billion music tracks were streamed in the U.K. last year, a new record which represents a 8.2% gain on 2021, and more than double the volume from five years ago.
Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2022
“As It Was,” Harry Styles
“Bad Habits,” Ed Sheeran
“Peru,” Fireboy DML & Ed Sheeran
“Go,” Cat Burns
“Shivers,” Ed Sheeran
“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” Kate Bush
“Heat Waves,” Glass Animals
“Where Are You Now,” Lost Frequencies/Calum Scott
“Afraid To Feel,” LF System
“Seventeen Going Under,” Sam Fender