Radio 1 Big Weekend Headliners - Touching tributes and Sam’s faulty Fender
Radio 1’s Big Weekend is one that rarely disappoints; the event, that is available to watch either in person or streamed through the BBC themselves, has in recent years provided viewers with the company of artists such as Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Charli XCX.
This year the Big Weekend has been hosted in Liverpool, with Sam Fender, Tom Grennan and Mumford & Sons headlining among other headliners and surprise acts.
Here, Music News Blitz’s Charlie Gardner provides a rundown on some of the memorable moments from each day this time around.
Disney Channel’s golden-age hits: Still hitting the right notes in 2025
Even in 2025, one listen to those infectious Disney Channel melodies and the nostalgia hits hard.
Music News Blitz’s Mic Drop podcast kicks off with a Taylor Swift vs Ariana Grande debate
Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are two of the most talked about artists in the music industry and their fan bases have been debating for years over who is better than the other.
Beyond the bars: What the Kendrick-Drake beef says about pop culture
In 2024 and early 2025, the music industry witnessed one of the most high-profile rap feuds in recent memory: Drake vs Kendrick Lamar.
What began as subtle jabs and veiled shots escalated into a lyrical arms race that captivated fans, flooded social media, and reshaped the modern hip-hop landscape.
But beyond the headline-grabbing diss tracks, this beef tapped into something deeper - the enduring power of rap battles to shape not just the genre, but pop culture as a whole, writes Music News Blitz’s Lamiya Huda.
Clairo: The plight of a teenager
By nature of her writing style and the themes explored through her music, Clairo has always worn her heart on her sleeve and remained expressive about the plight of coming into one’s age.
Her music is deeply emotive and reflective and throughout her career has been erected by the feminine, ethereal tone of her songs, a staple of her career that separates her from other artists, writes Music News Blitz’s Isaac James.
This fragility that accompanies her music invites thought from the listeners, the harmonic instrumentation in songs like “Heaven” and “Juna” enable storytelling on a greater level than most artists, gentle melodies that are guided by Clairo’s voice.
Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever achieved growth in a time of chaos
The COVID-19 pandemic had monumental consequences on just about every industry on a global scale, be it medicine, infrastructure or entertainment.
The ways in which the world operated and the way humans interacted with each other fundamentally shifted, writes Music News Blitz’s Isaac James.
We as a race were faced with the question as to whether human connection could persist when a key component is removed; proximity.
Les Miserables - A revolutionary musical or empty chairs in empty theatres?
Les Miserables has been my all-time favourite musical from a young age.
I remember back in my first year of secondary school, singing “Do you hear the people sing” as the finale to the school musical, and I was hooked.
The film, featuring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, has been watched and rewatched an embarrassingly high number of times to the point where I know the music and the score by heart, a skill I am probably too proud of.
But on the actual musical, incredible.
One year of ‘COWBOY CARTER’: How Beyoncé’s genre-defying album won hearts and redefined boundaries
On March 29, 2024, Beyoncé released COWBOY CARTER, and with it, she rewrote the rules of country music, shattered expectations, and, quite honestly, blew our minds.
Now, a year later, we’re still in awe of what she accomplished - a genre-defying, Grammy-winning masterpiece that dared to be bold, soulful, and unapologetically Black.
This wasn’t just an album. It was a cultural reset.
Brighter, bolder, better: Ariana Grande’s ‘eternal sunshine’ deluxe is everything we needed and more
It’s finally here, and WOW - eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead is everything we needed and more.
Ariana Grande just blessed us with six new tracks and a short film that somehow made this already iconic album even better.
I loved eternal sunshine when it first dropped, but this deluxe version? Absolutely next-level.
Music opinion: Four UK artists that deserve more recognition
It’s easy to get into a rut and turn a blind eye to the smaller up-and-coming artists that could be the ‘next big thing’.
Here, Music News Blitz writer Amelie Da Costa looks at four Northern bands and musicians worth considering for your next music listening session.