Music analysis: Why fans are finally wearing earplugs to concerts
Whether it’s for Harry Styles at Wembley or this summer's biggest festivals, earplugs have become one of live music's most unexpected accessories as fans discover they don't have to sacrifice their hearing to enjoy the show.
With festival season in full swing and BTS preparing to return to UK stages, plenty of fans are adding a pair to their concert bags, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Music analysis: Highvyn's IN BETWEEN is worth getting lost in
Highvyn is an alternative pop secret that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep, writes Music News Blitz's Victoria Bruwer.
With more than 205,000 monthly Spotify listeners, millions of streams across his catalogue and a growing international audience, the Korean American alternative pop artist is quickly becoming one of those names that keeps quietly appearing on playlists before suddenly becoming impossible to ignore.
Charli XCX past, present and future: New album and movie on the horizon
After Charli XCX's success with Brat, a new era is beginning, and she is showing no signs of slowing down, writes Music News Blitz's Madeline Rhodes.
Dominating the pop music scene with her Brat (2024) album, which brought her three Grammy Awards and five Brit Awards, there's no doubt that fans are excited to hear new music from the global artist.
Away from music, Charli is continuing to build her acting career with the release of her mockumentary, The Moment (2026), in February, featuring Rachel Sennott, Jamie Demetriou and Kylie Jenner.
Music analysis: Where to start listening to classical piano pieces
Do you have an interest in classical music but don’t know where to start listening?
Here are Music News Blitz writer Moe Ikeda’s recommendations of classical music from two perspectives: arrangements and legendary pianists.
Music analysis: Gemini's KNIGHT is a reminder that kR&B deserves your attention
There is something unfortunate about watching an artist quietly reach new creative heights while the rest of the music world barely seems to notice, writes Music News Blitz writer Victoria Bruwer.
Some artists don't need to chase trends to make an impact. They quietly build a catalogue of music that speaks for itself, attracting listeners through consistency, authenticity and a sound that feels impossible to replicate.
Pitbull’s army of fans set Guinness World Record for largest gathering of bald caps
Pitbull performed to a sea of bald caps as he headlined BST Hyde Park on July 10, writes Music News Blitz’s Madeline Rhodes.
Before Pitbull was set to perform, his fans gathered by the main stage to be officially counted towards the record.
Music analysis: The Bratz soundtracks that deserved to escape the DVD menu
Nostalgia has become one of Gen Z's favourite pastimes, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Whether it's rediscovering old shows or replaying the songs that soundtracked our childhoods, there's something comforting about revisiting the early 2000s.
Many of the biggest hits from that era have found a second life thanks to social media, with forgotten tracks becoming viral sounds and introducing a whole new generation to the music.
But while we've spent years celebrating the fashion, films and pop stars of the 2000s, there's one soundtrack that deserves far more recognition than it gets: the music from the Bratz movies.
Music analysis: A look at Don Toliver’s Octane era - energetic, but immersive
Don Toliver, real name Caleb Zachary Toliver, has amassed quite the fan base since his first album Donny Womack released in 2018.
The album caught the eye of pop rap star Travis Scott which landed him a record deal with Cactus Jack Records.
Octane, from Houston Texas, has given Don Toliver his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts, writes Music News Blitz’s Madeline Rhodes.
Music analysis: If peace had a sound, it’s Wave to Earth
Since their debut in 2019, the South Korean indie rock band Wave to Earth has become one of the most beloved names in the global indie scene, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Music analysis: A look at PinkPantheress’ sampling talent
PinkPantheress is a bedroom pop artist who loves to blend sounds from electronic, drum and bass, R&B, alternative pop and UK garage genres, along with many more.
The singer rose to stardom in 2020 by uploading short snippets to TikTok of music she’d created on GarageBand from her university dorm room.
Music News Blitz’s Madeline Rhodes takes a closer look at PinkPantheress’ use of genre blending and sampling.
Music news: Former G.R.L member Lauren Bennett has passed away at age 36
Lauren Bennett has passed away at the age of 36, writes Music News Blitz’s Tyler Lai Sai.
The former G.R.L member and Party Rock Anthem singer passed away on 29 May 2026.
Her passing was announced on Monday, 6 July by her former band G.R.L on their Instagram account.
Music analysis: How Japan’s Spotify charts reveal the biggest J-Pop trends
Are you interested in what kinds of songs are popular in Japan?
Here are some points you should check out when you look at the top 50 songs in Japan on Spotify.
They are one of the trendiest bands lately; anime theme songs and bands have been loved for many years, writes Music News Blitz’s Moe Ikeda.
More than fearless: LE SSERAFIM flows into a new era
The five-member South Korean girl group has stepped into one of their biggest eras yet with the release of their second studio album, Pureflow Pt.1, on May 22, proving once again that the group is never afraid to reinvent themselves.
Following the introspective journey of their EASY, CRAZY and HOT trilogy, Pureflow Pt.1 finds the members embodying a renewed sense of confidence.
Instead of running from vulnerability, LE SSERAFIM celebrates it, reminding listeners that strength comes from acknowledging fear rather than pretending it doesn't exist.
The album expands beyond the group's signature pop sound, their musical identity getting laced with house, EDM, and Brazilian funk influences while keeping the energetic charisma that has become their trademark.
The album feels like the group's most playful release to date, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Music news: Beyoncé surprises the BeyHive with first new single in two years
Nearly 13 years after redefining the surprise album, Beyoncé has done it again, dropping “Morning Dew (Donk)” without warning, launching the countdown to B'DAY's 20th anniversary and reminding the industry why nobody does a surprise release quite like her.
Without a teaser, countdown or cryptic social media campaign, Beyoncé surprised fans on Friday, July 4, with the release of “Morning Dew (Donk)”, her first new song since 2024's Cowboy Carter.
Within minutes, the unexpected drop had transformed an ordinary holiday weekend into a celebration for the BeyHive, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Music analysis: Lola Young is more than “Messy”
At a time when authenticity has become a marketing strategy, Lola Young has built a career on something far riskier: telling the truth before she's finished living it.
There are plenty of pop stars who spend years polishing away every rough edge before the world ever sees them. Lola Young has built her career by leaving them in.
When she returned to London's O2 Academy Brixton this summer after a months-long hiatus from live performance, there was no dramatic comeback speech waiting for the crowd.
There was no attempt to rewrite the previous year or package it into an inspirational story.
She simply looked across the room and admitted, "I've missed this so much."
It was a small moment, but it said everything, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Music news: The mystery is fading - Alan Vuong is finally stepping into the spotlight
We can’t deny it, but there are some artists we want to gatekeep for ourselves.
Not because they don’t deserve the success, but because discovering them before everyone else feels like finding a secret world.
For years, Alan Vuong has existed in an unusual space.
Millions of streams. A devoted online following. Songs quietly circulating through late-night playlists and social media algorithms.
Yet, somehow, very few people knew anything about the artist behind them.
That anonymity, however, is beginning to fade, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Music analysis: After crossing oceans - Ichiko Aoba’s busy year continues
Fresh off tour, Japanese folk singer-songwriter Ichiko Aoba returns with a new single, an animated film soundtrack and another run of live performances.
For most artists, completing an international tour would be the perfect excuse to slow down, but not for Ichiko Aoba.
Aoba recently wrapped up her Across the Oceans tour, appearing in cities across Europe and North America before taking the City Stage at the Asian Pop Festival in South Korea.
After months of travelling and performing for her audiences in different countries, the singer wasted no time moving into her next creative chapter, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Did music videos matter more when we were younger - or do they just matter less now?
When I was younger I used to think a song wasn’t complete until I’d seen the music video, writes Music News Blitz’s Fatima Aziz.
The video wasn’t just an add-on, it was the version of the song that stuck.
You didn’t just hear it, you saw it.
You knew the outfits, the storyline, the exact moment the chorus hit because something dramatic happened on screen.
The song and the video became inseparable.
Music opinion: Record labels - The birth of a career and the death of autonomy
In 1993, O(+>, more famously known as Prince, appeared in public after having changed his stage name to an unpronounceable code and with the word ‘SLAVE’ drawn on his cheek.
This was not one of the pop star’s many artistic statements. Rather, it was a calculated effort to draw attention to the predatory relationship between him and his record label, Warner Bros.
More than three decades later, this dismal tale has unfortunately not stayed an anomaly.
It has become emblematic of the music industry at large and how record labels continue to create 'slaves' out of musicians.
Artists continue to sign their rights away, one exploitative contract at a time, writes Music News Blitz’s Arwen Lehmann.
Music opinion: Why does every song now have multiple versions?
Songs don’t really have only one version anymore, writes Music News Blitz’s Fatima Azize.
If you hear something once, that’s not necessarily actually the version that sticks.
There could be a sped-up version. Or a slowed one. Or some random remix trending on TikTok that makes you forget what the original even sounded like.
It’s weird because this didn’t used to happen.
There used to just be the song - maybe a remix if it was big enough - but that felt like an extra, not the main thing.
Now it feels like releasing one version is just the starting point.