Music news: KATSEYE unleash their wild side with new single ‘Animal’
KATSEYE are shedding their polished image and embracing something wilder, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
The global girl group returned on Friday, 24 July with ‘Animal’, a new single accompanied by a music video featuring Demi Moore.
Co-written by Ed Sheeran, the track is the latest preview of KATSEYE's upcoming EP, ‘Wild’, which is set for release on 14 August.
Music analysis: The rise of AI in music - Artistic repression or innovation?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is radically reshaping the music industry, testing the traditional conventions of music production, composition, and the listening experience, writes Music News Blitz’s Emily Hodson.
Artists are faced with a trade-off between human-led processes of writing lyrics, recording and editing and a technological, highly productive alternative.
However, musicians such as SZA are calling for other artists to boycott the use of AI, raising questions as to whether it should be welcomed as an opportunity for evolution or feared as a threat to creativity.
Music analysis - An African Pop princess, utilising the revival of the 00s - ‘A*POP’- Tyla
Tyla, an artist who has proven her success as a global sensation, released her highly anticipated sophomore album, A*POP.
The album utilises a blend of Pop, Rnb and South African music to create the unique sound she is famed for, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Music analysis: Dark Pop reimagined - ‘Petal’ by Ariana Grande
On July 31, Ariana Grande released her anticipated album, Petal, to the public, with many fans awaiting her return to popstardom after Wicked: For Good, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
This era began with the release of ‘hate that i made you love me’ in June, which has become one of my favourite singles she has ever dropped.
It encompasses what I believe Grande wanted to explore in this album, the realm of Dark Pop.
This feels like her way of addressing how she is learning to heal and stay resilient while experiencing the pressure of being a global sensation, as there is a melancholic tone in this album.
To me, this is what makes the album feel authentic and gives us the truth of being under the spotlight.
Music analysis: The rise of artists pressing pause - what Ariana Grande’s decision tells us about the music industry
Ariana Grande announced on Monday, August 3 that she will be stepping back from public life, terminating plans to appear in a London musical next summer, writes Music News Blitz’s Emily Hodson.
The pop star’s decision reflects an upward trend of artists prioritising their physical and mental wellbeing, leaving fans doubting if the music industry is truly supporting the artists at its core.
Mercury Prize 2026 shortlist revealed as some of music's biggest names battle for honour
The race for the 2026 Mercury Prize is officially underway after organisers unveiled this year's 12 shortlisted albums, bringing together music icons, established stars and rising talent in the running for one of the UK's most prestigious awards.
Among the biggest talking points is Paul McCartney, who received his first Mercury Prize nomination despite having a solo career spanning more than five decades, writes Music News Blitz’s Joshua Johnston.
His latest album ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ joins a shortlist that also features artists: Olivia Dean, Dave, Florence + the Machine, RAYE, JADE, Nia Archives, Kojey Radical, Suede, Knats, Dove Ellis and the collaborative album Help(2) from War Child Records.
Chart-topping songs from this year's nominated albums include: Raindance from Dave featuring Tems, Angel of My Dreams from JADE and Man I Need from Olivia Dean.
Music news: Ariana Grande finds strength in the cracks on “Petal”
A flower growing through concrete should not exist; yet, that impossible image introduces Ariana Grande's eighth studio album, Petal, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
On the title track, she sings "petal in the pavement," transforming something delicate into a symbol of resilience.
Arriving on July 31, Petal finds Grande entering a new chapter while still travelling through the North American leg of her sold-out Eternal Sunshine Tour.
Music news: Gracie Abrams confronts herself on “Daughter From Hell”
Every Gracie Abrams album has searched for answers. On Daughter From Hell, the questions finally turn inward, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Across 16 tracks, Abrams shifts her focus from failed relationships to the person left standing after they end.
Family, self-reflection and the uncertainty of adulthood take centre stage, making Daughter From Hell her most introspective work yet.
Music news: Hive Mind comes to life with the most unexpected line-ups
Hardcore metal and hip-hop/rap have always shared the same rebellious spirit, even though they’d rarely appear in the same playlists together, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Earlier this year, Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry proved just how naturally the two worlds collide with the release of "Hive Mind," a relentless crossover that fused crushing breakdowns with razor-sharp rap verses.
Named after the collaborative single, The Hive Mind Tour will see Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry co-headline a massive 24-date North American tour beginning on September 26th in Newport, Kentucky.
The tour will then be making stops in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver and more, finishing in Mexico City on November 8th.
As if that wasn't enough, they’ll be bringing along alternative rock favourites Superheaven and metalcore heavyweights Boundaries, making it one of the most exciting lineups announced this year.
Fatboy Slim backs community ownership drive to secure Brighton grassroots venue
Brighton and Hove-based DJ Fatboy Slim has backed efforts to secure the future of grassroots music venues by investing in Music Venue Properties, as Brighton venue The Pipeline becomes the tenth venue protected through the Own Our Venues initiative, writes Music News Blitz's Josh Johnston.
Fatboy Slim has thrown his support behind efforts to safeguard the future of grassroots live music by investing in Music Venue Properties (MVP), helping secure Brighton venue The Pipeline as community-owned.
The acquisition means The Pipeline has become the tenth venue to be protected under MVP’s Own Our Venues £7 million initiative.
Music analysis: Panchiko's mystery that made millions listen
Imagine burning a few CDs with your friends as teenagers, handing them out to people around Nottingham, getting rejected by record labels, and quietly moving on with life.
And then, twenty years later, strangers on the internet track you down because one of those CDs has become one of the biggest mysteries in online music history.
It sounds like the plot of a film, but for British indie band Panchiko, it became reality, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Music analysis: The soundtrack behind Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and why it was outstanding
Collaborating with Nolan for a third film after Tenet (2020) and Oppenheimer (2023), Ludwig Göransson was tasked with creating the score for the Greek epic The Odyssey, writes Music News Blitz's Gabriel Mills.
Based on the 3,000-year-old tale by Homer, Christopher Nolan adapted it for the big screen in the distinctly captivating and surreal way that only he can.
Reading & Leeds Festival ushers in a new era as BBC Introducing Stage gets axed
The long-running platform for emerging artists will be replaced as part of the festival's wider site evolution this year, writes Music News Blitz's Joshua Johnston.
Reading & Leeds Festival is set to say goodbye to one of its most iconic stages, with organiser Festival Republic confirming that the BBC Introducing Stage will not return this year after an 18-year run that began in 2008.
The change is part of a broader transformation of the festival, alongside other stages being rebranded and the introduction of a brand-new dance music stage, The Warehouse.
Music analysis: Ashley Cooke's self-titled album signals a new era
Titling an album with their own name is one of the boldest statements an artist can make, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Music analysis: Ella Langley is having country music's biggest year
A journey that started in a pasture full of cows has taken the Alabama songwriter to the top of the Billboard charts, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Music news: Put Your Phone Down! CORTIS reignites music's biggest concert debate
Before smartphones became part of everyday life, people somehow managed to leave concerts with memories that lasted a lifetime, writes Music News Blitz's Victoria Bruwer.
Watch footage of legends such as Queen, Michael Jackson or Led Zeppelin performing for enormous crowds of hundreds of thousands of people. Nothing but hands in the air, completely immersed in the performance.
Music analysis: Inside the world of Japan’s genre-blurring duo Ziproom
Sometimes you don’t need to understand the language of a song to catch your attention when the flow and vibes are just right, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Kobe-based hip-hop duo, Ziproom, has quietly built a devoted following by making music that feels more like an atmosphere than a performance.
Music news: Nobody builds anticipation quite like Tyla as A*Pop arrives
Grammy-winning singer Tyla has transformed what could have been a routine album rollout into one of the most exciting campaigns of the year, reminding everyone why she has become one of South Africa’s greatest musical success stories.
With A*Pop arriving on July 24, it’s easy to forget just how quickly Tyla’s rise happened, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Music festivals: Creamfields to celebrate 20th anniversary in August
Over the August bank holiday (August 27-30), the Creamfields festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the iconic Daresbury site in Cheshire, writes Music News Blitz’s Madeline Rhodes.
Creamfields is known as the largest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in the UK.
Around 80,000 people per day are set to attend, with more than 250 artists performing across 30 different stages.
Hosting the largest indoor festival in the world, their ‘APEX’ stage allows for a 30,000-capacity.
The huge indoor main stage protects festivalgoers from the natural elements until as late as 4am.
Music news: Stop sleeping on EB3N before everyone else finds him
If you’re into artists like Avenoir, Devkota, Alan Vuong, Zuriel, and so many more who are quietly reshaping the alternative R&B scene, then add EB3N to your playlist.
Every music fan loves saying, "I've been listening to them since before they blew up.”
Not because of bragging rights (okay, maybe a little), but because you get to witness the journey in real time.
Waiting for every new release, their older music becomes more personal to you, and it’s exciting to watch that artist achieve every milestone they deserve.
With just over 122,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, the R&B singer-songwriter is still flying under the radar, but that probably won't last for long, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.