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Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” has bagged a second week at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart (Feb. 28). The song – first released in May 2024 – gave the Compton rapper his maiden No. 1 single in the U.K. last week, and stays strong at the summit in consecutive weeks. Explore Explore See […]
The 2025 edition of Iceland Airwaves has unveiled its first wave of artists set to perform in Reykjavík, Iceland, in November.
The list sees a wealth of emerging names, such as Domino signees Fat Dog, Manchester’s Antony Szmierek, singer-songwriter Jasmine.4.t and experimental pop act Ratbag.
Other artists set to appear at the festival include Babymorocco, Deadletter, Jelena Ciric and The Orchestra (For Now), who appeared in Billboard U.K.’s Ones to Watch list for 2025. (You can view the full lineup on the festival’s website.)
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There will also be a strong presence of local talent, from Sunna Margrét to Milkywhale and Magnús Jóhann. A new pledge to support the future of Icelandic music will also see a handful of selected 2025 performing artists travel to Austin, Texas, in March to play at an exclusive SXSW showcase presented by Iceland Airwaves, Iceland Music, Business Iceland and Record in Iceland.
Weekend, single-day and conference passes are currently available through the festival’s official website, starting at 10.900 ISK ($78.55). There are also travel bundles available for those who would like to purchase flights and accommodation along with a festival ticket.
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Launched in 1999, Iceland Airwaves is a world-renowned music showcase. Over the years, the festival has welcomed the likes of Mac DeMarco, James Blake, Sufjan Stevens, Young Fathers, Sigrid and Florence + The Machine to Reykjavík.
Each November, global artists and industry converge in the Icelandic capital for three days of live performances, panels and workshops. The 2024 edition saw Shygirl, Bar Italia, Anish Kumar and Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul take to the stage, among others.
The festival is promoted and produced by the concert company Sena Live, with support by Iceland’s national airline and founding sponsor, Icelandair, and in cooperation with the City of Reykjavík.
See Iceland Airwaves’ lineup announcement of the first wave of artists below:
Little Simz has kicked off her 2025 with the release of a mighty new single, “Flood,” and announced her upcoming sixth album, Lotus.
The new album will be released on May 9 via AWAL, and will be her first studio LP since 2022’s No Thank You.
Featuring vocals from both Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly, the lead track marks the first slice of new material from Simz this year. It arrives accompanied by a striking video, which was directed by Salomon Ligthelm.
In February 2024, Simz put out her Drop 7 EP, which was followed by surprise single “Hello, Hi” in December. Throughout the year, she also made a slew of guest appearances on other artists’ tracks: Coldplay’s “We Pray,” Sampha’s “Satellite Business 2.0” and Wretch 32’s “Black and British.” In June, she appeared on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, marking her biggest show to date.
More recently, Simz was nominated in the hip-hop/rap/grime category at The BRITs 2025, which will take place at London’s O2 Arena Saturday (March 1). She has previously triumphed at the awards ceremony, scooping the best new artist gong in 2022.
In January, it was announced that the 31-year-old will curate this year’s Meltdown Festival at the capital’s Southbank Centre. Taking place between June 12-22, the event will see Simz craft a wide-ranging bill of music, art and workshops across 11 nights, with the full lineup expected to arrive soon.
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Across the course of an illustrious career, Simz has released five studio albums, among a wealth of mixtapes and extended projects. In 2022, she won the Mercury Prize for her fourth LP Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – her highest charting record in the U.K. to date, landing at No. 4 upon release.
Wet Leg, Underworld, Kneecap, TV on The Radio and Beth Gibbons have been announced as headliners for Wales’ Green Man festival this summer (Aug. 14-17). The event, which is already sold-out, will host an array of U.K., Irish and International acts in the Black Mountains in Wales’ Bannau Brycheiniog National Park over four nights in August.
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Kneecap will headline the opening night’s bill, with indie duo Wet Leg following on the Friday, and dance icons Underworld topping the lineup on Saturday. On the final evening, TV On The Radio and Portishead’s Beth Gibbons (solo) will close the festival with co-headline slots.
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Elsewhere there’ll be performances from Wunderhorse, Greentea Peng, CMAT, Perfume Genius, MJ Lenderman, English Teacher, Fat Dog, Yard Act, Nilüfer Yanya, Warmduscher and more. See the full lineup below.
It’s the latest show announced for Wet Leg as they gear up for their highly-anticipated sophomore album. The band’s self-titled 2022 debut was nominated for best alternative album at the Grammys the following year, and saw them support Harry Styles extensively on his most-recent world tour.
Green Man festival was established in 2003 and has been held annually (aside from 2020) ever since. 2024’s edition was headlined by Big Thief, Sampha, Jon Hopkins, Sleaford Mods, while previous headliners across the two decades include Fleet Foxes, St. Vincent, The War on Drugs, Father John Misty, Fontaines D.C., Kraftwerk and more.
The 25,000 capacity event will also host comedy and theatre performances, literature discussions, science workshops in its wide-ranging program. An accompanying statement by the festival reports that Green Man generates £28 million into the Welsh economy, and is one of the largest independent festivals in the U.K.
Charli XCX will collect the songwriter of the year award at the upcoming BRIT Awards. The Brat star is the recipient of the honorary prize, which has previously been won by British acts Ed Sheeran (2022), Kid Harpoon (2023) and most recently, Raye (2024).
The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place Saturday (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, and will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Performances on the night will come from Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and more.
Charli is also competing in five additional categories on the night, including album of the year and British artist of the year. The songwriter of the year prize gives Charli her first-ever BRIT Award win, having been nominated four times previously in 2015, 2020, 2023 and 2024.
Brat was named Billboard staff’s album of the year, with Kristin Robinson writing that the LP had “most exciting and culturally significant album launches in modern memory,” and catapulted “the longtime music maker into a new stratosphere of stardom.” The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
On Monday (Feb. 24), it was announced that A.G. Cook, Charli’s close collaborator and an executive producer on Brat, would collect the producer of the year prize. The trophy was first awarded in 1977 to Beatles producer George Martin, and in recent years has been won by Fred again.. (2020), Inflo (2022), David Guetta (2023) and Chase & Status (2024).
Speaking to Variety in 2020, Charli described her working relationship with Cook. “We really trust each other, and challenge and push each other in the right ways. And we’re also very smart and equally dumb, and I think that’s really important in pop music,” she shared. “A.G. will make a beat in a few minutes and I’ll yell over it, and even if it sounds crazy, we’re not afraid of sounding stupid because we know we can get there eventually.”
She continued, “We enjoy twisting formats and breaking rules but we also kind of like some rules; we’re a bit winky but we’re also very serious; we’re both fans of pop music but equally fans of wanting to disrupt things; and we like to dance around what people think we should be doing. So there’s enough tension and push and pull to make really interesting music.”
The BRIT Awards will be broadcast live on ITV and on streaming service ITV X from 8:15 p.m. GMT.
Kate Bush, Damon Albarn, Annie Lennox and Hans Zimmer are among the artists who have contributed to a new “silent” album to protest the U.K. government’s stance on artificial intelligence (AI).
The record, titled Is This What We Want?, is “co-written” by more than 1,000 musicians and features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces. In an accompanying statement, the use of silence is said to represent “the impact on artists’ and music professionals’ livelihoods that is expected if the government does not change course.”
The record was organized by Ed Newton-Rex, the founder of Fairly Trained, a non-profit that certifies generative AI companies that respect creators’ rights. The tracklisting to the 12-track LP reads: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Is This What We Want? is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Also credited as co-writers are performers and songwriters from across the industry, including Billy Ocean, Ed O’Brien, Dan Smith (Bastille), The Clash, Mystery Jets, Jamiroquai, Imogen Heap, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Riz Ahmed, Tori Amos, James MacMillan and Max Richter. The full list of musicians involved with the record can be viewed at the LP’s official website. All proceeds from the album will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.
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The release comes at the close of the British government’s 10-week consultation on how copyrighted content, including music, can lawfully be used by developers to train generative AI models. Initially, the government proposed a data mining exception to copyright law, meaning that AI developers could use copyrighted songs for AI training in instances where artists have not “opted out” of their work being included.
The government report said the “opt out” approach gives rightsholders a greater ability to control and license the use of their content, but it has proved controversial with creators and copyright holders. In March 2024, the 27-nation European Union passed the Artificial Intelligence Act, which requires transparency and accountability from AI developers about training methods and is viewed as more creator-friendly.
Speaking at the beginning of the consultation, Lisa Nandy, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said in a statement: “This government firmly believes that our musicians, writers, artists and other creatives should have the ability to know and control how their content is used by AI firms and be able to seek licensing deals and fair payment. Achieving this, and ensuring legal certainty, will help our creative and AI sectors grow and innovate together in partnership.”
Industry body UK Music said in its most recent report that the music U.K. scene contributed £7.6 billion ($9.6 billion) to the country’s economy, while exports reached £4.6 billion ($5.8 billion).
“The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them,” said Newton-Rex in a statement on the album release. “It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary: the UK can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus. This album shows that, however the government tries to justify it, musicians themselves are united in their thorough condemnation of this ill-thought-through plan.”
Jo Twist, CEO of the British Phonographic Institution (BPI), added, “The UK’s gold-standard copyright framework is central to the global success of our creative industries. We understand AI’s potential to drive change including greater productivity or improvements to public services, but it is entirely possible to realise this without destroying our status as a creative superpower.”
Speaking to Billboard U.K. in January, alt-pop star Imogen Heap — a co-writer on Is This What We Want? — expanded on her approach to AI. “The thing which makes me nervous is the provenance; there’s all this amazing video, art and poetry being generated by AI as well as music, but you know, creators need to be credited and they need to tell us where they’re training [the data] from.”
The BRIT Awards has announced that A.G. Cook is the recipient of this year’s producer of the year award.
The British musician was an executive producer for Charli XCX’s Brat LP, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
Cook has had co-writing and co-producer credits on a number of albums, including Beyoncé’s Renaissance in 2020, but he is best known for his working relationship with Charli XCX. Cook has played executive producer on several of Charli’s projects: 2017 mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2; 2019 LP Charli; and 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now.
Speaking on the news, Cook said, “As someone who’s always felt like a bit of an outsider, I’m very flattered to be recognized by The BRITs. From the early PC Music days to the Charli mixtapes and beyond, I’ve been lucky to work on so much music that I truly believe in. In particular, I’d like to dedicate this moment to Sophie, whose vision and artistry is still a driving force for producers everywhere.”
The honorary producer of the year prize was first awarded in 1977 to The Beatles producer George Martin, and in recent years has been won by Fred Again.. (2020), Inflo (2022), David Guetta (2023) and Chase & Status (2024). Cook was selected for the prize by a panel of expert judges.
Cook has been a key player in the British and international pop scene for the past decade. In 2013, he established the influential PC Music record label, which is credited with spearheading the hyperpop sound. In 2024, he released his third studio album, Britpop, which appeared on Billboard U.K.’s albums of the year list, with Sophie Williams writing that the LP “felt like a safe, uplifting, candy-striped wonderland where one could hide from growing global anxiety.”
The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place Saturday (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, and will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Performances on the night will come from Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and more, and the ceremony will be broadcast live on ITV and on streaming service ITV X from 8:15 p.m. GMT.
The stratospheric success of Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet continues. The pop star’s sixth LP, which came out last August, has returned to the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart following the recent release of a deluxe version (Feb. 21).
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The new edition includes a remix of “Please Please Please” featuring Dolly Parton, plus bonus tracks “15 Minutes,” “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder,” “Busy Woman” and “Bad Reviews.”
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Upon arrival, the Short n’ Sweet saw Carpenter become the first female in history to score both the U.K.’s No. 1 album and single (“Taste”) simultaneously. It landed the second-biggest opening week of 2024 – only Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department outperformed it. The LP has now racked up three non-consecutive weeks at the top.
Earlier this week, meanwhile, the 25-year-old shared details of another huge outdoor London gig for the summer. On July 6, she’ll headline BST Hyde Park for the second time, following her previously sold-out show on July 5.
Tickets for Carpenter’s new date will go on sale at 10 a.m. GMT on Feb. 24 from the festival’s official website. She will be supported by Clairo and British star Olivia Dean on the day, with a full lineup expected to arrive soon.
Manic Street Preachers follow at No. 2 with their Critical Thinking, the Welsh rockers’ 15th LP. Over the course of four decades, the band has stacked up a further 14 top 10 U.K. albums, including two chart-toppers: 1998’s This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours and The Ultra Vivid Lament, released three years ago.
PartyNextDoor and Drake’s collaborative effort $ome $exy $ongs 4 U finishes at No. 3, while indie outfit The Wombats come in at No. 4 with Oh! The Ocean, their fifth U.K. top 10 album to date. Central Cee rounds out the top five with Can’t Rush Greatness, a chart mainstay since its release last month.North London singer-songwriter Louis Dunford, meanwhile, is celebrating his first top 10 appearance with Be Lucky finishing at No. 8.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” has soared to the top of the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart (Feb. 21).
The Drake diss track track, first released in May 2024, marks the Compton rapper’s maiden No. 1 hit in the U.K., thanks to exposure from his Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show earlier this month. His explosive performance has already become the most-watched halftime show in history, according to the NFL and Apple Music, surpassing 130 million viewers.
A recent U.K tour announcement with SZA has also continued to bolster Lamar’s current chart success. Two of the pair’s collabs, “Luther” and “All The Stars,” appear at No. 4 and No. 5 this week. He is also leading the pack in the U.S., too, as “Not Like Us” has returned to the summit of the BillboardHot 100 this week for the first time since last July.
Across an illustrious career, Lamar has notched up 11 top 10 singles in the U.K., from Taylor Swift team-up “Bad Blood” through to “Humble,” the lead single from his 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning LP Damn.
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Following acclaimed performances on late-night chat programs including The Graham Norton Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Lola Young’s “Messy” comes in at No. 2, breaking her four-week run atop the charts. The track appears on her studio album This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway, which was released in May 2024 via Island Records.
After taking to the stage at The BRIT Awards on March 1, Young will kick off her U.K. headlining tour the following week on March 3 at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. In April, she will perform at Coachella, ahead of a stacked festival season including major events such as Manchester’s Parklife and Reading & Leeds.
There’s also further chart dominance incoming from Sabrina Carpenter. Having recently released a deluxe edition of last year’s Short n’ Sweet LP, its focus track “Busy Woman” comes in at 10, while “Please Please Please” re-enters the top 10 for the first time in four months thanks to a remix with Dolly Parton (No. 9).
Elsewhere, Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” shimmies on up to No. 3. Further down the chart, AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith’s buzzy new collab “Crush” debuts at No. 23, while Sam Fender’s “People Watching” hops up five places to No. 26, coinciding with the release of his album of the same name.
Fontaines D.C. have dropped “It’s Amazing To Be Young,” their first slice of new material since the release of fourth LP Romance last August.
Produced by James Ford, the song will be available on limited edition 7” vinyl on April 18, alongside another new track entitled “Before You I Just Forget.” The release is available to preorder now via the Dublin band’s website.
“It’s Amazing To Be Young” was written in the presence of guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s child, the band have shared. “It sounded more like a lullaby or a music box then, but with the same lyric – ‘it’s amazing to be young’,” explained bassist Conor Deegan III in a press release.
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“The feeling of hope a child can give is profound and moving, especially for young men like us. That sense of wanting to create a world for them to grow up in happily,” he continued. ”It’s a feeling that fights against the cynicism that can often overtake us in the modern world. So we wanted to declare which side we were on – it really is amazing to be young.
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“We are still free, and want to make that feeling spread,” he continued. “We want to protect it for the others around us, and maybe in doing that, we can also help protect it for ourselves.”
The track precedes a huge summer of live activity for Fontaines D.C., who will perform U.K. outdoor shows in Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and London, with the latter taking place at the capital’s 45,000-capacity Finsbury Park. The run will follow spring headline tours around Asia, Australia, South America and North America.
It arrives accompanied by a video from the BAFTA-winning filmmaker Luna Carmoon who previously directed the videos for Fontaines D.C.’s “Here’s The Thing” and “In The Modern World”. Watch the clip in full below.
“I love this new track – it’s one of my favourites Fontaines have done and I love that I got to complete the trilogy of videos for it,” Carmoon said. “It was all natural and kind of a surprise that the three videos came together. I’ve got to work with such a beautiful team and was really given the space and breath to create the worlds that automatically came to me when hearing the music.”Upon the release of Romance, Fontaines D.C. achieved their fourth consecutive top 10 studio album on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart, while it landed at No. 97 in the U.S. – their highest entry to date on the Billboard 200.