When Epik High returned with their ‘Strawberry’ EP back in February, it wasn’t obvious at the time how one lyric would become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Looking back at the hip-hop trio’s year now, though, and “It’s an all-time high / Baby, I’ve been on one” from ‘Catch’ feels like the perfect summation of their 2023.

• READ MORE: Epik High: “We’ve mastered our craft – now we need to go back to being more childlike”

It’s rare that you find an artist in any genre celebrating their 20th anniversary in music while feeling like they’re still moving forward, not yet stuck in a nostalgia loop of doing victory laps for past glories. But Epik High still feel like they’re continuously growing, still making big, exciting, new strides, still have plenty left to show us, even after two decades of doing just that.

Although 2023 has been a little quieter for the three-piece in terms of music – just one EP and one single – what they have shared hasn’t found them merely resting on the laurels of their previous work. Across the ‘Strawberry’ EP and November’s ‘Screen Time’, they gave us new collaborations, new perspectives and new sounds. ‘God’s Latte’, the final track on ‘Strawberry’, moved them into an atmospheric, reflective space that gently underpinned lyrics that wrestled with ideas of heaven and hell, good and evil, and God. On ‘Screen Time’, they explored loneliness and separation through the smartphones we’re all glued to – a new evolution in Epik High’s knack for big, broad topics feel specific and relatable.

When they haven’t been gifting us new tunes, the trio have been touring the world, lighting up each spot they visit with electrifying performances. They are shows so full of life and energy that it seems like there must have been a mistake made somewhere – that they couldn’t possibly be hosted by artists two decades into their career. For every dynamic concert, the world has responded in kind – with more interest and enthusiasm, with bigger venues, sold-out crowds and invitations to perform in places Epik High have previously never been. At festivals, they’ve raised the bar for other acts on the line-up and, at their own headline gigs, given fans perfect nights to remember.

Epik High’s year is culminating with two big moments on the live side of their story. First, the introduction of their own official lightstick. In their typical irreverent style, it’s shaped like a raised middle finger and forms a playful, tongue-in-cheek way for fans to show their continued allegiance to Epik High’s story. Last weekend, Seoul’s Olympic Handball Gymnasium was lit up by hundreds and thousands of the new item as the group celebrated its 20th anniversary with three concerts that highlighted their standing in the industry.

Taking place at the 6,500-capacity venue, the shows constituted Epik High’s biggest in their home country for years, adding to that feeling that they’re far from done yet. At these three-hour extravaganzas, they commemorated their catalogue so far, pulling out fan favourite hits, deeper cuts, their newest releases and – on one night – an unreleased track. Each show boasted two guest appearances, including legends from across the spectrum of Korean music, like Dynamic Duo, NELL, Psy, ballad singer Sung Si-kyung, Younha and Ha Dong Qn. The stature of the line-up highlights not just the connections they’ve made in the past, but the respect the industry still holds for them – that such artists would be willing to show up to celebrate them.

Although these concerts looked back on 20 years of Epik High, they were far from a full stop on the group’s whole story, but just on one chapter. At the end of each night, Tablo teased the crowds that there was still plenty to look forward to. “Epik High reborn,” he declared of their 2024 on the second night, promising 24 hours later that their fans could look forward to “a lot of new shit” after the turn of the year. The last 12 months might have been an all-time high for Epik High, but it doesn’t look like they’re coming down anytime soon.

The post Two decades into their story, Epik High don’t look like they’re coming down from their “all-time high” anytime soon appeared first on NME.

A paid for ad feature with viagogo.

It’s almost Christmas and for many, that means a last minute panic as they try and find the perfect present. Gift vouchers are fine, socks are useful but overdone and the less said about shower gel gift sets the better. Instead, why not give the present of a great night out this Christmas?

• READ MORE: The best albums of 2023

From huge stadium gigs through the bombast of live theatre to the dizzying excitement of watching your favourite new band dominate the stage of a small venue, tickets really do make the best gifts. With that in mind, we’ve created the ultimate last minute gift guide to help see you through this festive period. And hey, there’s no harm in buying an extra ticket for yourself either. It is your Christmas too.

The mosher

Rock & roll is back in the mainstream thanks to TikTok and a new generation of artists rediscovering the raw power of the electric guitar. Whether you’re buying for a lifelong rock fan, or someone who’s just discovered Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’, you can’t go wrong with a ticket to Download Festival. Taking place over three days in June, the weekender will play host to living legends (Fall Out Boy, The Offspring) alongside a new crop of greats including HotWax, Scowl and Wargasm.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Download Festival at global marketplace, viagogo here.

If you want something more ferocious though, Slipknot have announced a 25th anniversary tour for their debut self-titled album, taking place at the end of 2024.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Slipknot at global marketplace, viagogo here.

The hip-hop head

None of hip-hop’s big names have confirmed plans for next year yet but your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper has announced a UK tour. Fresh from releasing debut album ‘How Do You Sleep At Night?’, Teezo Touchdown is heading out on his first proper headline run. With co-signs from Drake, Tyler, The Creator and Travis Scott, Teezo creates what he calls “rock & boom” and looks set to become the next big thing in the scene.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Teezo Touchdown at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Alternatively, Frank Ocean has just released a range of new merch alongside a repress of ‘Blonde’.

The pop lover

It’s been a huge year for pop music, with massive tours from Beyoncé, Madonna and Sam Smith. Somehow, 2024 will be even bigger. We’ve already had the return of Dua Lipa confirmed and Taylor Swift’s huge ‘Eras’ tour is finally touching down in Europe. Girls Aloud have also announced their long-awaited return, with a sprawling headline tour that just keeps getting bigger. Promising to play all the greatest hits alongside their own favourites, it’s set to be an emotional, joyful evening.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Girls Aloud at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Alternatively, why not pick up a vinyl copy of Dua Lipa’s banging new single ‘Houdini’ on vinyl.

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The dancing queen

If you want a great night out, you can’t go wrong with the music of ABBA. Now, while the band aren’t actually touring, the impressive ABBA Voyage is the next best thing as it brings together cutting edge tech with those timeless songs. Alternatively, the musical Mamma Mia! continues to go from strength to strength in London’s West End.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for London’s West End at global marketplace, viagogo here and Abba Voyage here. 

The person who just wants a fun night out

Sometimes, you just want the adult version of a sugar-fuelled school disco. Luckily, Nile Rodgers & Chic are touring in 2024 and they’re bringing party-starting queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor with them. If you’ve seen her showstopping Glasto 2023 performance or heard about Chic’s feel-good dance blowout, you know this is going to be a night to remember.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Nile Rodgers at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Alternatively, Moulin Rouge is currently playing on the West End, featuring tracks from the likes of Adele, Katy Perry and Rihanna.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for London’s West End at global marketplace, viagogo here

The ‘music was better in my day’ fan

Not everyone likes new music and that’s fine. There’s something comforting about going to a gig, and knowing you’re going to know all the words as you’re transported back to a time where, in your humble opinion, music was better. No gig next year is going to be as chaotically wonderful as Liam Gallagher’s 30th anniversary tour for Oasis’ classic album ‘Definitely, Maybe’. He’s even promising not to play any of his solo material.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Liam Gallagher at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Alternatively, why not pick up a vinyl player to relive the glory days.

The hit lover

Some music lovers can’t resist a deep dive into the carefully curated world of an album. Others are just here for the hits, and next year The Killers are heading out on a massive UK headline tour in support of their second greatest hits album ‘Rebel Diamonds’, which features one song from every year they’ve been a band. As you can imagine, that setlist is going to be wall-to-wall bangers.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for The Killers at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Additionally, why not get some earplugs so they a) don’t damage their hearing and b) can’t hear how out of tune their neighbour is singing along to ‘Mr Brightside’

The humble bragger

Got a friend who can’t help but tell you that they saw an artist before they got massive? Well, why not help them out with tickets to see The Last Dinner Party on their upcoming UK and European headline tour. From the moment they released their first single ‘Nothing Matters’, the band have been known as the most exciting thing in indie and with their debut album finally coming out in February, their next headline tour is going to be a real  ‘I was there’ moment.

Fans can buy and sell tickets for The Last Dinner Party at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Alternatively, why not buy them tickets to a gig at your local grassroots venue. Not only will you be supporting a scene that can’t help but create greatness, but you could discover something wonderful.

The post Last minute gift guide for gig lovers appeared first on NME.

In partnership with Beyond the Valley

When you think about the world’s calendar for music festivals, December isn’t a month that springs to mind – but Beyond The Valley is changing that. Over a few years, the music festival has established itself as a New Year’s Eve tradition not just for Australians but increasingly for lovers of good music worldwide.

What better way to shake off the year-end blues than by soaking in a southern-hemisphere summer, taking in top-notch performances at world-class stages and indulging in all the perks that a good festival has to offer? It’s no surprise that Beyond The Valley’s eighth edition is officially sold out, with tens of thousands of fest fiends ready to party in the Barunah Plains in Victoria next week.

If you’re wondering what the fuss is all about, read on to find out why Beyond The Valley is a special festival. Of course, nothing beats actually being there, but this list is a close second…

Beyond The Valley’s stunning location is almost beyond belief

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a music festival elsewhere in the world with a more picturesque location than Beyond The Valley, which takes place on the Barunah Plains, on the lands of the Wadawurrung and Eastern Maar Peoples. BTV makes full use of a gorgeous natural amphitheatre that makes you feel like you’re doing more than just rocking up to a festival – you’ll be entering a haven with your fellow music lovers for an ecstatic celebration of community and good vibes.

This little idyll isn’t inaccessible, either – Beyond The Valley is just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne (the festival offers buses from the city’s CBD if you’re not planning on taking your own car). And BTV allows you to customise your festival experience: either use day passes and leave the fest each day, or take advantage of top-of-the-line camping facilities and enjoy your time on-site to your heart’s content.

Mix up your festival experience with all the different stages

Beyond The Valley, like any good large-scale festival, has multiple stages – but what differentiates BTV is that organisers really make them worth your while. All stages have been kitted out with unparalleled tech and production that mean wherever you go, you’ll have a NYE blowout to remember. Of course, you can’t miss the massive Valley Stage with its lights, pyro and huge soundsystems, nor the custom-built Dance Dome for the ravers and players (where you can also expect two secret sets this year – keep your eyes peeled).

But make time for the more idiosyncratic and intimate stages too. At the Dr Dans stage, which was named in loving memory of fest friend Daniel Christidis and has garnered itself a cult following from BTV diehards, you can expect to dance your arse off to incredible DJs and thrilling takeovers (such as the Poof Doof’s pinktastic Barbie Party on day 4).

Or find the hidden entrance and squeeze yourself into Schmall Klub, a concealed, limited-capacity party that will transport you to an industrial European club. This space was proposed in 2019 by RÜFÜS DU SOL, the homegrown heroes who are headlining the festival this year. Will you see them in the venue that was their brainchild? Well, you’ll have to find it first…

You-had-to-be-there performances from a world-class line-up

Beyond The Valley isn’t any ordinary music festival – you can expect to make some massive memories here. Expect performances you’ll be talking up to your mates for months – you’ll be telling them, “you simply had to be there.” Last year BTV played host to pop queen Nelly Furtado’s first-ever performance in five years, and she had a special treat for revellers: a rendition of her TikTok-viral collab with Dom Dolla, the slinky ‘Eat Your Man’.

And for 2023, the fest has secured not only stellar performers but also culture-changers who’ve made songs that have defined our year: UK rap frontrunner Central Cee spun gold with Dave on the massive single ‘Sprinter’, and Seoul’s finest Peggy Gou made our 2023 when she dropped the fresh-yet-classic banger ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’. RÜFÜS DU SOL, the only act nominated at the 2023 Grammys, will stage the transcendent live show that has made them a name the world over.

The BTV line-up, overall, is world-class. Some of Australia’s best and most beloved artists will be here this year – from pop-rock legend, queer icon and drummer extraordinaire G Flip to beloved duo Flight Facilities, who will present their Decades Show at BTV – alongside local rising stars you’ll be bragging about seeing on the smaller stages, like Yolŋu surf rock stars King Stingray and the larger-than-life ‘slut-pop’ provocateur Big Wett. And we haven’t even mentioned the likes of Ferg, Jayda G, Mall Grab, DMA’S, Overmono… This is canny curation of the highest quality.

Eclectic experiences to keep you guessing

BTV makes it a point to go above and beyond – which means that there’s heaps of fantastic extramusical experiences to complete your time at the fest. Yearning for a bit of pool time? Head to the Better Beer Beach Club and grab a pint while you’re at it. Itching for some retail therapy? Check out the Market Village. Want some food for thought? Be a fly on the wall at the Podcast Stage, which makes a splashy return after its well-received debut last year, and attend live and interactive recordings with a line-up of podcasters curated by The Daily Aus. Talk about the footy at The Mason Cox Show, contemplate community with Yarning Up First Nations Stories with Caroline Kell and get into Scheananigans with Vanderpump Rules personality Scheana Shay.

There’s tons more fun to be had too with Poof Doof, who’ve been curating iconic queer programming for BTV since 2018. Expect games and giveaways, drag performances from Jimi The Kween, Justin Teliqure and more, and even dance classes. Memorialise your BTV experience by booking a festival tat with Dylan Davis Tattoo – and if you’ve been meaning to tie the knot or renew your vows, why not do it at BTV with its pop-up inflatable wedding chapel? Remember to bring your own dress and suit…

Rest, relax and recharge for 2024

When the final pyro fires and the last stage light powers down at Beyond The Valley, you’ll inevitably be dreading a return to the real world – and a whole new year. But you’ll be leaving only after having experienced the finest of BTV hospitality with its New Year’s Day Recovery program. For the first time, organisers will keep food, hydration and wellness activities open until 6pm on New Year’s Day so you can recover from the festivities before heading home.

Stretch or be stretched with yoga, pilates and massages – or commune with your fellow fest attendees with communal art activities or lawn games on the Main Street. If you’re in dire need of a straightforward lie-down, drop by the fruit and hydration station before commandeering a beanbag or hammock – or your corner of the pool at the Better Beer Beach Club.

And if the year has really run you ragged and you need that r’n’r before January 1, you can head to the Sanctuary throughout BTV for a plethora of fun and restorative activities. Get in touch with your body through yoga, pilates, dance classes, meditation, massages and breathwork – or exercise your mind with trivia and mindset coaching. You could even meet the love of your life at Beyond The Valley with its speed dating program. They do say ‘new year, new me’ after all…

Beyond The Valley takes place December 28, 2023 to January 1, 2024. Find out more about the line-up, stages and experiences on the official BTV website

The post Only one in the world: 5 reasons Beyond The Valley is the Australian music festival you can’t miss appeared first on NME.

A paid for ad feature for viagogo.

Viagogo has shared a list of 2023’s most in-demand events, from huge music concerts to massive sporting events. 

• READ MORE: The seven tours we want turned into movies

Viagogo’s first annual year in review reported a 41 per cent increase in fans purchasing tickets for events abroad compared to 2022.

Punters from over 90 countries, including Bermuda, Brazil, Singapore and South Africa, bought tickets on viagogo to see Beyoncé’s record-breaking ‘Renaissance’ tour when it touched down in London in May while supporters from over 40 countries bought tickets to experience The Ashes over the summer.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour made Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the second most in-demand venue in the country, based on tickets purchased on viagogo, beaten only by Wembley Stadium which hosted gigs from the likes of The Weeknd, Harry Styles and Blur.

“London has always been a hotspot for great live music and competitive sport and that’s especially clear in 2023, as we’re seeing record numbers of fans travelling in to share the magic,” said viagogo Global MD, Cris Miller. 

“The UK has been experiencing a resurgence in live events. Fans globally are leveraging our platform to plan holidays to get to these gigs. The knock-on effect of these memorable moments has a positive impact on local businesses and shows the growing demand for these in-person experiences.” 

The ten most in-demand artists based on tickets sold on viagogo and StubHub for events in the UK in 2023, as of 1 December 2023, is as follows.

1. Beyoncé
2. Harry Styles
3. The Weeknd
4. Coldplay
5. Elton John
6. Bruce Springsteen
7. Chris Brown
8. Madonna
9. P!NK
10. Arctic Monkeys

Elsewhere, for the first time since the NFL started playing matches in the UK 16 years ago, a majority of the supporters at both Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium came from the UK, with just 42 per cent coming from abroad. Fans still travelled in from more than 74 countries though, helping NFL matches become some of the most popular sporting events in 2023, according to viagogo ticket sales.

The top ten most popular UK sporting events of 2023 are as follows:

1. The Championships, Wimbledon (tennis)
2. Formula 1 British Grand Prix (motorsport)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars vs Buffalo Bills – NFL London Games 2023 (American Football)
4. ICC World Test Championship – Australia v India (cricket)
5. Wales vs England – Guinness Six Nations 2023 (rugby union)
6. KSI vs Tommy Fury (boxing)
7. Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans – NFL London Games 2023 (American Football)
8. The Open Championship (golf)
9. England vs France – Guinness Six Nations 2023 (rugby union)
10. Atlanta Falcons vs Jacksonville Jaguars – NFL London Games 2023 (American Football)

Looking ahead to 2024, viagogo ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming UK leg of her Eras Tour are already tracking at 50 per cent more than Beyoncé achieved in all of 2023. Ticket sales for her Wembley Stadium shows have already claimed three spaces on viagogo’s list of the ten most anticipated shows in the UK for 2024, with Foo Fighters’ gigs at London Stadium and Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground also ranking in the top ten.

According to viagogo data, British performers make up 50 per cent of the most sought-after tickets in the UK in 2024, with Take That, Liam Gallagher, Depeche Mode, Bring Me The Horizon and Eric Clapton claiming five of the 10 most popular tickets for UK events. 

The UK’s Most In-Demand Artists for 2024 are as follows:

1. Taylor Swift
2. Foo Fighters
3. Take That
4. Liam Gallagher
5. Bruce Springsteen
6. P!NK
7. Depeche Mode
8. Bring Me The Horizon
9. Eric Clapton
10. Olivia Rodrigo

The post The UK’s hottest concerts and sporting events of 2023 have been revealed appeared first on NME.

The end of each year might feel like a celebratory moment and a chance to remember all the greatness that has filled the previous 12 months. To look back on only the positives, though, would be to forget the many musical legends that sadly left this mortal coil. In 2023, there’s been a lot of them, all of whom have had big impact – whether on a breadth of modern music or in the scenes that raised them.

Gangsta Boo (August 7, 1979 – January 1, 2023)

Lola Chantrelle Mitchell – known professionally as Gangsta Boo – first rose to fame as a member of Memphis hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, whom she joined at the age of 14 after being discovered by founding member DJ Paul. She appeared on five of the outfit’s albums before leaving to focus on solo projects and quickly became a star in her own right. Her second album, 2001’s ‘Both Worlds *69’, entered the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, while the rapper became a go-to collaborator for many of hip-hop’s biggest and brightest names, from Eminem and Run The Jewels to rising stars like Latto and GloRilla. Mitchell died of an accidental drug overdose in January at the age of 43.

Jeff Beck (June 24, 1944 – January 10, 2023)

One of music’s most revered guitarists, Jeff Beck influenced many of the last six decades’ axe-wielders – and beyond. The guitarist replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds in the ‘60s and first made his mark on the world as a pioneer in psych rock and early hard rock. He was later fired from the band and struck out on his own once more, first with The Jeff Beck Group and then simply as Jeff Beck, consistently impressing with his distinctive and masterful guitar playing. Beck died in January from meningitis, aged 78.

Lisa Marie Presley (February 1, 1968 – January 12, 2023)

Although better known as Elvis’ daughter than an artist in her own right, Lisa Marie Presley followed in her father’s footsteps as a singer and songwriter in 2003. That year, she released her debut album ‘To Whom It May Concern’, kickstarting a 15-year career of hit singles and big-name collaborations. Throughout her time of releasing music, Presley often paid tribute to Elvis, including on her final release, ‘Where No One Stands Alone’, which found her “duetting” with her dad. The star suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in January at the age of 54.

David Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023)

Throughout his career, David Crosby was a pioneer – first, of folk rock and psychedelia with The Byrds and, later, of the Laurel Canyon sound with Crosby, Stills & Nash. He also enjoyed an illustrious solo career – particularly in his later years – in which he kept innovating, crafting new trends in freak folk and weaving elements of jazz into his compositions, and speaking out on societal and political issues. His final album, ‘For Free’, arrived in 2021 and reunited him with another luminary of Laurel Canyon in Joni Mitchell. Crosby died in January at the age of 81.

Tom Verlaine (December 13, 1949 – January 28, 2023)

A leading light of the early New York punk scene, Tom Verlaine was a founding member and the singer/guitarist of the seminal Television. A regular fixture of CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City, the band swiftly became a cult favourite in the city before spreading their influence far and wide with ‘Marquee Moon’, one of the era’s defining albums. Television split after their second album ‘Adventure’ (although later reformed in the ‘90s) and Verlaine continued on his own, releasing 10 solo albums between 1979 and 2006. In January, at the age of 73, he died following a battle with prostate cancer.

Burt Bacharach (May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023)

Often cited as one of the most influential figures in music in the 20th century, Burt Bacharach composed countless songs with his songwriting partner Hal David across seven decades and penned 73 US hit singles and 52 UK ones. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Dionne Warwick (‘Walk On By’) and Tom Jones (‘What’s New Pussycat?’), and Dusty Springfield (‘The Look Of Love’) and Neil Diamond (‘Heartlight’). Bacharach’s own releases also bore a huge influence on easy listening, while he frequently contributed to movie soundtracks. He died in February at the age of 94.

David “Trugoy The Dove” Jolicoeur (September 21, 1968 – February 12, 2023)

While he is best known as one-third of De La Soul, David “Trugoy The Dove” Jolicoeur’s story started with individual undertakings. The Long Island rapper forged his own path initially before teaming up with Vincent “Maseo” Mason and Kelvin “Posdunos” Mercer to form the hip-hop group. Together, they brought positivity to rap, releasing nine albums since 1989’s ‘3 Feet High And Rising’. They went on to collaborate with Gorillaz on their 2005 single ‘Feel Good Inc.’, picking up a Grammy along the way. Jolicoeur was diagnosed with congestive heart failure towards the end of his life. He died in February at the age of 54.

Steve Mackey (November 10, 1966 – March 2, 2023)

Sheffield’s Steve Mackey joined Pulp in 1989, playing bass for the band from their ‘Separations’ album and appearing on every album through 2001’s ‘We Love Life’. The group split after that record but, when they reformed in 2010, Mackey was with them, touring the world with his bandmates until he decided to bow out of their planned 2023 dates to focus on other projects. Outside of the Britpop act, the musician turned his hand to production and songwriting, collaborating with the likes of M.I.A., Florence + The Machine, Kelis, The Horrors, Palma Violets, and others. Mackey died in March from an undisclosed illness. He was 56 years old.

Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023)

A titan of jazz and funk, Shorter lived and performed with them all: he played crucial roles in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet and of jazz fusion band The Weather Report. Over a 70 year performing career, he was considered a saxophonist and composer that few could match, and inspired rising talents such as Domi and JD Beck, London Brew and more. He died aged 89. Thomas Smith

Ryuichi Sakamoto (January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023)

Acclaimed Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto was one of music’s great innovators. He consistently expanded the scope of electronic music and created film soundtracks for the likes of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Revenant that were as moving and thrilling as the action on screen. An artist with a voracious appetite for the works of other creatives, he collaborated with musicians from different worlds – like Japan frontman David Sylvian, Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, and BTS rapper Suga – and was a member of seminal Japanese group Yellow Magic Orchestra. Sakamoto died in March at the age of 71 following a long battle with cancer.

Seymour Stein (April 18, 1942 – April 2, 2023)

US music executive Seymour Stein’s impact on the music world was considerably large, even before he had landed his first job in the industry. As a teenage intern at Billboard, he was involved in the creation of the Billboard Hot 100 – still America’s reigning singles chart with influence across the globe. When he later co-founded Sire Records, he turned music fans around the world on to now-legendary artists like The Ramones, Talking Heads and a little pop star called Madonna. Stein was recognised for his impact with an induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2005. He died from cancer in April at the age of 80.

Paul Cattermole (March 7, 1977 – April 6, 2023)

Though once the founder of heavy metal band Skua, Cattermole found fame as a vocalist in the ‘00s pop group S Club 7 between 1998 and 2002 and contributed to all but their final studio album. In February 2023, the group announced a reunion tour with Cattermole set to feature in the line-up. He died suddenly in April from heart failure aged 46. TS

Ahmad Jamal (July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023)

The Pittsburgh pianist was a master of his craft. His 1958 live album ‘At the Pershing: But Not for Me’ was recorded at his residency at the Chicago hotel and was an immediate best-seller, his mastery best encapsulated on the hypnotic tinkle on the standard ‘Poinciana’. His skills as a bandleader and performer were on display for much of his life, and he released his final studio album in 2019. He died from complications following a prostate cancer diagnosis aged 92. TS

Moonbin (January 26, 1998 – April 19, 2023)

South Korean singer and actor Moonbin got his start in the entertainment world early on, appearing in TVXQ’s ‘Balloons’ music video and the K-drama Boys Over Flowers before he turned 11. These initial appearances led to a celebrated career straddling music and TV, with the star debuting as a member of boyband ASTRO in 2016. He quickly became known for his all-round talents – including smooth dance skills and distinctive voice – as well as his songwriting chops, as seen on the likes of ‘Candy Sugar Pop’ and ‘By Your Side’. In the midst of a tour as part of ASTRO sub-unit Moonbin & Sanha, Moonbin was found dead in his apartment in April, aged 25.

Harry Belafonte (March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023)

New York singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte worked with genres across the musical spectrum in his career, but he is often credited as one of the artists who popularised calypso music in the mainstream. His third album, fittingly titled ‘Calypso’, reinforced that fact – it became the first LP to sell over a million copies by a single artist. Over his journey, he released 30 studio albums and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s Early Influence category in 2022. He died in April from congestive heart failure. He was 96 years old.

Andy Rourke (January 17, 1964 – May 19, 2023)

The Smiths might not be typically associated with funk, but co-founding member Andy Rourke used influence from the genre in his bass playing – both in the band and in later projects. Rourke’s melodic style would help him become regarded as one of the best bassists of his generation and would earn him collaborations with stars such as Sinéad O’Connor, The Pretenders and, in the band Freebass, fellow Manchester legends Mani and Peter Hook. Between 2009 and 2014, Rourke hosted a weekly radio show, Jetlag, on New York’s East Village Radio, showcasing his voracious appetite for music. He died in May at the age of 59 from pancreatic cancer.

Tina Turner (November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023)

The “Queen of Rock’n’Roll” might have started out as part of ex-husband Ike’s The Kings Of Rhythm, later gaining more attention as one half of the duo Ike & Tina Turner, but she hit her dizziest highs all on her own. After largely unsuccessful solo releases in the ‘70s, her 1983 single ‘Let’s Stay Together’ became an unexpected hit, sparking not just one of the most stunning comebacks in music history, but a wealth of beloved and beguiling records to follow. Turner went on to become one of the best-selling artists ever and is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. She died in her home in Switzerland from natural causes in May at the age of 83.

Astrud Gilberto (March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023)

The voice that lit up ‘The Girl From Ipanema’. Astrud Gilberto’s contribution to ‘Getz/Gilberto’ – one of the best-selling jazz LPs of all-time – is immeasurable, her cool vocal delivery chiming alongside the smooth bossa nova played by her husband João Gilberto, Stan Getz and Antônio Carlos Jobim. The worldwide smash gave Gilberto a life-long career and in 2008 she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Latin Grammys. She died at her Philadelphia home aged 83. TS

Dan Lardner (August 22, 1991 – June 12, 2023)

Capturing the scuzz and sleaze of New York City is daring work, but few bands in the 2010s did it with such style as QTY. Signed to Dirty Hit, the duo released their sole debut album in 2017 which was produced by Suede’s Bernard Butler. He most recently toured with The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando as his guest of honor opening for the Psychedelic Furs. He was 31. TS

Tony Bennett (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023)

One of America’s finest crooners, Tony Bennett’s talents spanned decades and generations. After serving in World War II, the star returned home and began his music career on an instant high – his debut single ‘Because Of You’ hit Number One on the charts, setting the bar high. In the ensuing decades, Bennett didn’t disappoint – even when he fell out of favour to rock’n’roll, he found a way back by sticking to timeless sounds. His influence never wavered since, and he found a close collaborator in pop star Lady Gaga, with whom he released two albums. Bennett died in July after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sinéad O’Connor (December 8, 1966 – July 26, 2023)

Sinéad O’Connor was known for her powerful voice – both in her music and in her commitment to speaking out on the issues she believed mattered. When she appeared on SNL in 1992, she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II in protest of child abuse in the church. Throughout her career, she spoke openly of her struggles with mental health, using her platform to raise awareness and to advocate for other female artists, like Britney Spears. After releasing 10 albums and scoring five Top 40 singles in the UK, O’Connor died in July at the age of 56.

Rodriguez (July 10, 1942 – August 8, 2023)

Sixto Diaz Rodriguez spent much of his life and career as a relative unknown in his home country of the US but, unbeknownst to him, became a huge star in South Africa. The Detroit musician was so beloved in the country, he is said to have sold more records there than Elvis Presley and, inspired by rumours about his fate, fans set out on a hunt to trace him. The results of their search saw him finally get the recognition he deserved, with the Oscar-winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man sparking new interest in the folk and psychedelic rock artist. He died in August, aged 81, after suffering a stroke in February.

Robbie Robertson (July 5, 1943 – August 9, 2023)

Before Robbie Robertson guided the birth of Americana with The Band, the Canadian guitarist (and his bandmates) backed up Bob Dylan. The troubadour wasn’t the only musician on stage at his shows touched by greatness – in the spotlight, Robertson proved his own inimitable talents through rich and deep songwriting, and guitar playing that has since seen him declared one of the greatest guitarists of all time. After establishing The Band, the musician began collaborating with Martin Scorsese, crafting soundtracks and scores for his movies, like Raging Bull, Gangs Of New York, and, before his death, Killers Of The Flower Moon. Robertson died in August at the age of 80 after a battle with prostate cancer.

Magoo (July 12, 1973 – August 13, 2023)

Melvin “Magoo” Barcliff first met his musical partner Timbaland as a teenager in Norfolk, Virginia and, in 1989, became a hit rap duo together. Their debut album ‘Welcome To Our World’ spawned the chart-conquering single ‘Up Jumps Da Boogie (feat. Missy Elliott and Aaliyah)’ and served as the first part in a trilogy of releases. In 2003, they shared their last release – ‘Under Construction, Part II’, intended as a sequel to Missy’s own ‘Under Construction’. Magoo died in August from a heart attack. He was 50 years old.

Jimmy Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023)

Few artists are as synonymous with the laidback idea of island life as Jimmy Buffett. Through his tropical sound and pursuits outside of music, like the Margaritaville resort chain, he portrayed a lifestyle of breezy joy. Among his hits were “The Big 8” – eight songs that he never neglected to play, including ‘Margaritaville’, ‘Cheeseburger In Paradise’ and ‘Why Don’t We Get Drunk’. But his songwriting palette was made up of far more than those tracks exhibited, with his talents stretching beyond feel-good hits to character sketches and observational lyricism. Buffett died in September due to complications from a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer.

Steve Harwell (January 9, 1967 – September 4, 2023)

After leaving his position as rapper in F.O.S. (Freedom Of Speech), Steve Harwell formed Smash Mouth with Greg Camp, Kevin Coleman and Paul De Lisle in 1994. Their debut single, ‘Walkin’ On The Sun’, was released in 1997, earning them early success, before ‘All Star’ gave them their biggest hit two years later. That track went on to feature on the Shrek soundtrack, keeping the band in the public consciousness for years to come. Harwell retired from Smash Mouth in 2021 citing health issues and died in September this year of liver failure.

Rudolph Isley (April 1, 1939 – October 11, 2023)

Alongside his brothers Kelly, Ronnie and Vernon, Rudolph “Rudy” Isley formed The Isley Brothers when he was a teenager in Cincinnati. Together, the brothers (minus Vernon, who died in 1957) illuminated the R&B and funk scenes with hits like ‘Shout’ and ‘It’s Your Thing’. Despite their success, Isley decided to leave the music industry in 1989 to become a Christian minister. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and died this October from a heart attack at the age of 84.

Kevin “Geordie” Walker (December 18, 1958 – November 26, 2023) 

After joining Killing Joke in 1979, Kevin “Geordie” Walker quickly became known for his unconventional style of guitar playing. It was a technique that added electricity to the band’s albums, on which Walker played on 15, beginning with their 1980 self-titled debut. Outside of Killing Joke, Walker was also a member of Murder Inc, and The Damage Manual, while he also dabbled in producing. He died in November aged 64 after suffering a stroke.

Shane MacGowan (December 25, 1957 – November 30, 2023)

Irish punk poet Shane MacGowan might have had a reputation for his destructive personality, but beneath it all, he was also a master at crafting evocative lyrics that pulled you into the worlds he wrote about. In 1982, he co-founded The Pogues, with whom he would become best known, penning the seminal album ‘Rum Sodomy & The Lash’ and making an indelible mark on the Christmas music market with Kirsty MacColl collaboration ‘Fairytale Of New York’. In 2018, he was celebrated in Dublin for his outstanding contribution to Irish life, music and culture while, upon his death, Irish president Michael D. Higgins described him as “one of music’s greatest lyricists”. MacGowan died in November at the age of 65 from pneumonia.

The post Remembering the musical greats we lost in 2023 appeared first on NME.

For a second year in a row, the ladies are leading the charge in K-pop. It didn’t matter if their songs were vulnerable confessions of love or empowering, tongue-in-cheek anthems, whether the groups were rookies itching for their first hit or seasoned veterans showing everyone how it’s done, they were all one simple thing: inescapable.

• READ MORE: The 50 best songs of 2023

Beyond their popularity and catchiness, these girl groups also managed to capture the essence of pure joy in their songs. While music can teach important life lessons or impart sage advice – and these tunes accomplish those as well – who’s to say they can’t do all that while having us, say, twerking on the runway?

While the boys did try to put up a fight – special shout out to the likes of Key, SEVENTEEN, Kai and more – 2023 was a girl’s world, and we were all just living in it. From hypnotic Jersey club bangers to macabre love stories, here are the 25 best K-pop songs of the year.

Puah ZiWei, Commissioning Editor (K-pop)

Words by: Daniel Anderson, Tássia Assis, Sarina Bhutani, Carmen Chin, Sara Delgado, Rhian Daly, Lucy Ford, Tamar Herman, Joey Levenson, Ivana E. Morales, Puah ZiWei, Tanu I. Raj, Abby Webster, Gladys Yeo

25. RIIZE, ‘Memories’

In many ways, RIIZE’s ‘Memories’ is less one song than three – which makes sense as a boyband under SM Entertainment, whose groups have made a trademark of whiplash-speed tempo and melodic breaks in their tracks. ‘Memories’ builds on that legacy, with distinct verses, pre-choruses and rap breaks all building towards one of the most euphoric choruses of the year.

• READ MORE: RIIZE carve out a refreshing, distinct sound for themselves on ‘Get A Guitar’
  

If the start of this year was all about Y2K, we’re rounding it out with a move slightly into the future. The song’s stellar chorus screams 2010s pop euphoria, all sun-drenched key changes that sound like the promise of a never-ending summer. LF

Best bit: The joyful crash of the very first chorus. It makes way for one of the finest, bounciest, most ‘ain’t life grand’ choruses of the year that will have you punching the air.

24. IVE, ‘I AM’

The soaring sound of a jet plane doesn’t typically open up glittery dance tracks promoting self-love and discovering one’s best life, but IVE leaned into the high-flying journey towards finding one’s own way in ‘I AM’.

Built on thumping beats and shimmering synths, ‘I AM’ spends its time pushing and pulling between back-and-forth harmonising and building high notes. It’s as if the song is pacing itself with moments of melodious contemplation and bursts of dynamism, before ultimately deciding that it wants to surge forward once and for all, declaring itself a high-octane pop declaration to find out who ‘I AM’. TH

Best bit: The phrasing of lines like “Life is a beautiful galaxy” and “Be a writer, the genre is fantasy” bring a sense of wonder to the intimate journey towards self-discovery and self-love.

23. Jeon Somi, ‘Fast Forward’

Who said K-pop has left house music behind? Jeon Somi’s ‘Fast Forward’ kept the beat pumping and our heads banging. The singer quite literally cycled through aesthetics and eras in the search for true love – going from anime-core barbie to futuristic fantasia.

Ironically, it seems this search would also be an endless loop much like the progression of the song – keeping us trapped in a melodic prison of longing and loneliness. Ridiculously catchy, fast-paced – ‘Fast Forward’ was a much-welcomed throwback to the era of crying in the club. TR

Best bit: Somebody crown Somi as the queen of the catchy chorus, because it took us a while to get this one out of our heads.

22. NMIXX, ‘Roller Coaster’

NMIXX may have fallen off the radar for many K-pop fans, but not us – and so the underrated ‘Roller Coaster’ has not gone unrecognised. The song evokes the tropical house mastery of classic K-pop bangers – think SHINee’s ‘View’ and f(x)’s ‘4 Walls’ – but lends it a tinge of innocence and girlhood that makes it feel like a spritz of cool water in the hot summer.

NMIXX’s roster of gifted vocalists are given plenty of space to prove their mettle and absolutely do; Lily and Sullyoon in particular lift this song to breathtaking heights. Some may argue that ‘Roller Coaster’ doesn’t exactly fall under NMIXX’s brand of experimental music, but it’s hard to fight against a feel-good tune evoking the inherent romance of summer. CC

Best bit: The song could not have ended on a better note than the outro performed by Kyujin and Jiwoo.

21. Jungkook, ‘Standing Next to You’

Few times has a song hit the bullseye of “K-pop with a Western focus” like Jungkook’s ‘Standing Next to You’. In fact, this might be the best example that K-pop can export uniqueness without losing itself in the process – even when sung entirely in English.

• READ MORE: Jungkook – ‘Golden’ review: a new pop king prepares to take his throne
  

It envelopes the listener in brass, bass and glitter, and the BTS maknae has never sounded so confident. Although largely inspired by Michael Jackson – complete with falsettos and dance moves – it’s Jungkook’s star power that shines through, and ultimately asserts him as a global pop prince in the making. TA

Best bit: The second part of the chorus, where Jungkook is passionately proclaiming the deepness of his love (“You know it’s deeper than the rain / It’s deeper than the pain”), yet finds the time to cram in a BTS reference (“When it’s deep like DNA”) into the mix.

20. IVE, ‘Blue Blood’

Pulsating percussion forms a steely spine throughout this number, elevating the frosty anthem into a marching battle hymn. Each member’s husky voices adds delicious layers to their sibilant siren song, crescendoing with piercing strings that are as every bit as haunting as the resolute declarations of “I’m blue”.

• READ MORE: IVE: “We’re going to shine at the top, we belong at the top”
  

While ‘Blue Blood’ had the unenvious responsibility of kicking off IVE’s much-anticipated debut studio album, ‘I’VE IVE’, it delivered aloof seduction as the girls wrap South Korea’s curiosity about blood types around their manicured fingers. DA

Best bit: Each time they ask, “What’s your blood type”, but you know it’s rhetorical because they are too cool to ever be a match with you.

19. NewJeans, ‘ETA’

There’s an inherent paradox in ‘ETA’. The poppy, uplifting beat belongs right at the heart of a Brazilian baile funk, mixed with influences from Baltimore club classic ‘Samir’s Theme’ and a deconstructed ‘Think’ break sample. It’s a pocket-size dancefloor hit meant to be played on loop.

But then, the lyrics coax the listener to break up with a cheating boyfriend, all in intimate, journal-like anecdotes. “The day you couldn’t come to my birthday party / The day Hyejin got in so much trouble,” the quintet whisper in angelic voices, as if we were just there, living through these moments with them. It’s that relatability that makes ‘ETA’ another instant classic by industry-igniters NewJeans. TA

Best bit: The addictive “What’s your ETA? What’s your ETA? (Mm-mhm-mm)” chorus. Good luck not getting it stuck in your mind for months.

18. KISS OF LIFE, ‘Sugarcoat’

There have been many attempts by K-pop acts to recapture the magic of ’90s R&B, but Natty’s ‘Sugarcoat’, which served as a precursor to KISS OF LIFE’s banger debut, hit the nail right on the head. The groove of ‘Sugarcoat’ hinges almost entirely on Natty’s smooth but powerful vocal delivery, of which she offers up plenty.

She fully leans into the sound and takes control of the music, letting her voice come to the forefront. Not only does it highlight how adept Natty has become as a singer, but KISS OF LIFE’s general musicality as a four-piece that’s unafraid to steep themselves into nostalgic genres and reinvent them for new and old audiences alike. CC

Best bit: Natty hitting every single note of that beautiful rapid-fire, falsetto pre-chorus with razor sharp accuracy.

17. BIBI, ‘Hongdae R&B’

In this moody R&B number dedicated to Seoul’s famed Hongdae street, BIBI peels back the vibrant exterior of its bustling nightlife and promise-filled music scene, diving into its gritty underbelly.

The song takes us on a journey through the “toothless, needlessly pricey” neighbourhood, introducing the motley cast of characters lurking in its background: the half-hearted indie guitarist and his intoxicated girlfriend, “gangster” underground rappers and celebrity oppas notorious for seducing young women. A tragically astute exploration of youthful aspiration and where it goes to die, BIBI’s soulful, vulnerable pen and voice are the perfect instruments for bringing that image to life. GY

Best bit: The languid, seamlessly fluid sing-rap delivery in the second verse.

16. fromis_9, ‘Attitude’

Born of humble beginnings, fromis_9 have truly come into their own, and ‘Attitude’ is an emblem of their newfound carefree confidence. The song feels like a spell wrapped in a satin veil that unfolds into a risk-taking adventure for the ages – those that go into the unknown but linger forever in the memory.

• READ MORE: fromis_9 – ‘Unlock My World’ review: a treasure trove of pop gems
  

Vivid yet seductive, with an air of burning desire, fromis_9 declare their intent to take on the liberation that’s just within reach: “Don’t stop me now / Watch me / My flame that explodes silently.” IM

Best bit: The delightful pre-choruses where Jiwon and Hayoung give us the track’s most unabashed declaration: “Waiting for the show / now count to three and throw me all.”

15. ATEEZ, ‘Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers)’

What would K-pop be without a little earworm? Whether you love it or hate it (or Stockholm-syndromed yourself into liking it), there’s no denying that ATEEZ’s ‘Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers)’ will leave an impression that won’t be easy to forget after just one listen.

ATEEZ have always trafficked in extremes, with a penchant for irreverence and sonic noise, but ‘Bouncy’ takes it a step further. Undoubtedly their most playful and successful title track to date, ‘Bouncy’ revels in chaos, mixing distorted arrangements with aggressive autotune and, somehow, it pays off. SD

Best bit: The infectious trifecta of pre-chorus, Hongjoong-led chorus and post-chorus.

14. aespa, ‘Drama’

The K-pop canon has no shortage of badass anthems but, in November, aespa offered up one of 2023’s strongest, most intriguing additions to the collection. ‘Drama’ put the girl group in the driver’s seat, confidently taking the wheel as they warned the world of what to expect from them. “I bring all the drama-ma-ma-ma,” they cautioned over a metallic, ominous instrumental that was both experimental and accessible.

In case you didn’t get the message the first time, Winter made it crystal clear in the outro, with a declaration that could double as a comment on aespa’s trajectory this year delivered in deceptively sweet tones: “You know, I’m savage / Unstoppable, baddest.” RD

Best bit: The whole first verse is packed with lines that scratch your brain exactly the right way, from Karina’s “Ziggy, ziggy, zag, I’m new” to Ningning’s infectious “I li-li-like me when I roll / Li-li-like me when I’m savage”.

13. NCT Dream, ‘Broken Melodies’

Leave it to NCT Dream, the cheeriest of the NCT units, to gift us with an unexpected glam rock-leaning gem. ‘Broken Melodies’ is NCT Dream at their most anthemic, showing a sonic side of the septet we’d never quite seen before.

Soft-strummed guitar riffs lead the arrangement, intermixing with skittering drum beats and honeyed harmonies. Though the bridge might seem slightly out of place with the guitar-drum patterns upon first listen, the impossible-to-resist melody of the staccato chorus fully seals the deal. SD

Best bit: Chenle’s final high note.

12. VIVIZ, ‘Untie’

Remember when GFRIEND dropped the magnificent ‘Mago’ and (sadly) dipped? It’s taken VIVIZ a moment, but Eunha, SinB and Umji have finally picked up where their original group left off, and the result is a provocative, bewitching runway banger that feels like a natural evolution for the beloved trio.

While you’re hypnotised by the four-on-the-floor beat, VIVIZ cast a spell with their raspy, whispered vocals, compelling you to keep the song on repeat – not that we’d have refused – all while commenting on the hollowness of social media. No notes. PZW

Best bit: Try to resist the urge to go “Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, all tied” randomly after listening to this masterpiece.

11. tripleS, ‘Speed Love’

In tripleS sub-unit LOVElution’s B-side ‘Speed Love’, crush-induced nerves verge on panic, as sparse piano chords capsize into flighty woodwinds and slick drum ‘n’ bass. Stumbling through a romantic confession, the girl group seem impatient to get it all out of their system: “I just want to rush this,” they sing, and the giddy production is all too happy to oblige.

• READ MORE: tripleS LOVELution – ‘ↀ’ review: a dizzying, enthralling kaleidoscope
  

Clocking in well under three minutes, ‘Speed Love’ extends the experimental rookies’ run of short bops with real staying power. (Even sans their usual ‘la-la-la’s, this chorus is guaranteed to race through your head for days.) The group’s breadth of releases this year have ranged from good to great – and if K-pop is an endurance sport, surely that qualifies them for both marathon and sprint. AW

Best bit: The mercurial flute that quite simply runs laps around the already impressive instrumentation.

10. Kai, ‘Rover’

‘Rover’, a remake of Bulgarian singer Dara’s song ‘Mr. Rover’, is, to put it bluntly, a song to shake ass to. Kai has an airy, husky timbre that pairs beautifully with the stripped-back nature of his previous releases, but, with ‘Rover’, the incubator of this year’s most infectious hook and dance challenge, he shows how addicting it can be while floating above something more thunderous and demanding.

• READ MORE: Kai talks NME through his ‘Firsts’
  

The song, dripping with confidence and sex appeal, is a showcase of how well his voice can meld to what’s beneath it, as it bobs and weaves between sultry R&B verses, Reggaeton-thumping choruses and a spine-tingling bridge that gives his stunning lower register a moment to shine. LF

Best bit: The final chorus and outro that is a feastful tour of what Kai can do with his voice, as it blends from a rapturous riff over the song’s main hook into some ASMR-adjacent speak-singing straight from his lower register.

9. Red Velvet, ‘Knock Knock (Who’s There?)’

One thing about Red Velvet? Every one of their songs takes you into a world of its own, whether it’s a jungle safari bursting with life or a violently kaleidoscopic theme park.

• READ MORE: Red Velvet – ‘Chill Kill’ review: deliciously dark, delightfully macabre
  

With ‘Knock Knock (Who’s There?)’, the quintet combine an eerie sample of ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ with the sophisticated harmonies often associated with their sensual “velvet” side, lulling listeners into a fantastical yet desolate supernatural realm where Halloween is forever. Musically and lyrically, ‘Knock Knock (Who’s There?)’ is an atmospheric track overflowing with artfully constructed imagery, making it one of their strongest offerings to date. GY

Best bit: The angelic harmonies towards the end of each chorus as they sing: “Got a devil, on my shoulder / A gently whispered voice.”

8. NewJeans, ‘OMG’

NewJeans’ deeply-infectious ‘OMG’ perfectly encapsulates the group’s spirit. With a touch of sass, the song’s prominent bassline and funky drumbeat do all the moving while their vocals take on a more laid-back, effortless approach.

• READ MORE: NewJeans: “We want to show the industry that music shouldn’t be divided by language”
  

Their perennial cheeky lyricism is also on full display here, as the girls pine hopelessly: “Oh my, oh my God! 예상했어 나 (I knew this would happen) / I was really hoping that he will come through.” When you inevitably catch yourself singing along, you can’t help but feel as though you’re in a back-and-forth with all five members. It’s a masterclass of immersive world-building in a simple, short-and-sweet track. JL

Best bit: The surreal, yet somewhat beautiful music video that accompanied the release of the song.

7. SEVENTEEN, ‘Super’

“Feels like I turned into Son O-gong,” SEVENTEEN shared on ‘Super’, a statement that, by the end of 2023, became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The mythical Chinese character is known for his colossal strength and ability to defeat the best warriors and, while the boyband might not have gone into battle, this year they dominated K-pop, racking up record-breaking sales and their first Album Of The Year award at MAMA 2023.

• READ MORE: Exhausted by the grind? ‘Second Wind’ by SEVENTEEN trio BSS is a perfect pick-me-up
  

Is it any wonder when the music was as good as this blistering single – a high octane ode to the group’s resilience and determination whose power never weakens, no matter how many times you listen to it. RD

Best bit: It’s a toss up between every gleeful “Da-rum da-rim-da” and Woozi’s ending moment full of “ener-energy”.

6. FIFTY FIFTY, ‘Cupid’

FIFTY FIFTY’s meteoric rise in the K-pop scene was marked by both triumph and adversity. Their retro-pop breakout hit, ‘Cupid’, took the entire world by storm with its infectious bubblegum vibes and disco-inspired synths. An equally catchy (if not better) English version catapulted the song to even greater success, thanks in-part to a reworked bridge and the quartet’s flawless English pronunciation.

• READ MORE: FIFTY FIFTY on joining K-pop’s new wave of powerhouse girl groups: “We wanted to show ourselves and stand out”
  

However, behind the scenes, the group faced challenges with their agency ATTRAKT, with three members – Sio, Aran and Saena – now no longer part of the group. Despite these setbacks, FIFTY FIFTY’s musical impact with ‘Cupid’ remains undeniable, proving that their talent and resilience shine through even in the face of adversity. JL

Best bit: (Former) Lead singers Sio and Aran flexing their talent with powerful vocals across the song’s bridge.

5. Key, ‘CoolAs’

From its sparkly opening notes to the a capella final seconds, ‘CoolAs’ is one of 2023’s masterpieces. It grabs you with a slinky bassline, reminiscent of Beyoncé’s ‘Virgo’s Groove’ and Moloko’s ‘Sing It Back’, and grounds the boat while Key is, well, being Key. By that, we mean to repeat his own lyrics: “I’m impeccable, I’m exceptional.”

• READ MORE: Key – ‘Good & Great’ review: exactly what it says on the tin
  

Thankfully he knows, because this B-side (that should very well have been a single) captures his versatility, sass and panache like few others. And his confidence is contagious – once it’s over, you may not be “dripping ice” or hearing a “choir full of angels”, but you’ll feel at least a little bit as cool as one of K-pop’s best soloists. TA

Best bit: The conviction with which he delivers lines like “Turning these heads like spectacle / Green with envy like vegetable”, making them iconic instead of ludicrous.

4. NCT DoJaeJung, ‘Perfume’

Though NCT’s sound is typically that of sensory overload, sub-unit DoJaeJung find their calm in the chaos with ‘Perfume’, the group’s sweet, yet sultry debut single.

The track’s top notes are the trio’s honeyed harmonies, with each member’s vocals perfectly complimenting that of the others, while the base note, the soul of the track, is its musky, R&B melody that can’t help but linger in your mind. Together, Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo create impact through surprising softness, uncovering new layers to the beloved veteran boyband. SB

Best bit: Jaehyun’s silky smooth solo during the interlude hits all the right nerves (and is even better when accompanied by its equally satisfying choreography).

3. LE SSERAFIM, ‘Eve, Psyche, and the Bluebeard’s Wife’

What’s so great about ‘Eve, Psyche, and the Bluebeard’s Wife’ is how understated it is. The Jersey club-inspired, uptempo track rests on a consistent electro progression, rarely deviating from a beat that’s nothing short of addictive. To this, LE SSERAFIM add almost laid-back vocals, weaving a story of power that fosters and simmers in silence rather than break down the door with a bang.

• READ MORE: LE SSERAFIM: “Walk your own path, even if you might become the villain”
  

The steadiness is a spell meant to keep us bound; the lyrics, our call to wake from the slumber of submission. But what’s more devastatingly beautiful are moments building up to it – the “boom, boom, boom” of your heart when you go from wishing for “what’s forbidden” to actually breaking the rules. TR

Best bit: Yunjin’s deep vocals kicking off the song with “I’m a mess, mess, mess – safe to say, we were left “mess-merised”.

2. (G)I-DLE, ‘Queencard’

After last year’s ‘Nxde’ and ‘Tomboy’, (G)I-DLE returned in May with yet-another tongue-in-cheek take on bold femininity, challenging the status quo with confidence-booster ‘Queencard’. A sassy, campy ode to loving oneself and being the queen bee of your own life, this tune masquerades as hot girl shit while letting listeners in on the joke regarding double-standards about women, especially those living in the spotlight.

• READ MORE: (G)I-DLE – ‘I Feel’ review: destined to be their most divisive release yet
  

Quirky, tempo-shifting pop-rock drives the push-and-pull of the melody, as the members drop deadpan, sassy one-liners, conversationally driving the song towards the rousing chorus that celebrates twerking on the runway. TH

Best bit: “Queencard, I’m hot / My boob and booty’s hot” – but I’m still wondering… Which boob?

1. NewJeans, ‘Super Shy’

When NewJeans arrived in 2022, it was both swift and surprising – without any lead-up, Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein entered into our lives and held us rapt with lowkey, ’90s-inspired R&B singles, a shock to the K-pop ecosystem. Their sophomore EP, ‘Get Up’, is likewise understated: NewJeans moon over boys and catch all the feels to minimal club beats. Each offering is chock full of that girlish magic, but the soft, dreamlike drum ‘n’ bass of ‘Super Shy’ has its own special way of worming into hearts (and minds).

• READ MORE: NewJeans – ‘Get Up’ review: no one can hold a candle to K-pop’s rising wonder girls
  

In their quest to court a crush, the quintet serve up schoolgirl doubts with a quiet confidence: “I’m super shy, super shy / But wait a minute while I make you mine, make you mine”. Their hushed talk-singing charms the most, and that’s part and parcel of NewJeans’ success – they’re able to make themselves heard with only a whisper because everything from the marketing to the music itself beckons you to lean in and listen. ‘Super Shy’ comes together as the perfect K-pop package, solidifying NewJeans’ status as the girl group we’re sure to be talking about for years to come. AW

Best bit: Hyein and Minji’s staccato ask-out: “Find a lil’ spot, just sit and talk.” Name the time and place.

The post The 25 best K-pop songs of 2023 appeared first on NME.

A paid for ad feature for viagogo.

2024 is already shaping up to an absolutely bonkers year for live music. In recent weeks, the likes of The Killers, Bloc Party, Kasabian, Girls Aloud and Ethel Cain have all announced massive tours to go alongside previously confirmed runs from Blink-182, Green Day, Manic Street Preachers and Taylor Swift.

• READ MORE: The biggest team-up tours that you can’t afford to miss

But let’s not wish away the rest of 2023 just yet. The nights may be long and the weather is reliably terrible, but there are a bunch of brilliant gigs happening around the UK. To help you keep track of the spectacular must-see shows happening here are the best gigs to see this week (December 18 – December 25).

Tom Jones

Tom Jones is a living legend and after a busy summer touring the UK, he’s bringing his celebrated Ages & Stages Tour to a handful of arenas to close out the year. Featuring reworked classics, stories from his sprawling rock & roll career alongside covers of beloved tracks, it’s set to be a celebration of Jones’ impressive legacy.

Tom Jones plays:

December
19 – The OVO Hydro, Glasgow
20 – AO Arena, Manchester

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Tom Jones at global marketplace, viagogo here.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

While baby brother Liam is announcing plans to celebrate Oasis’ iconic ‘Definitely, Maybe’ with a string of UK stadium shows, Noel Gallagher has been moaning at US audiences for not appreciating his newer material. Still, his fourth album with the High Flying Birds is a bright, upbeat slice of nostalgia that sees Noel refusing to settle for past glories. That’s not to say his gigs aren’t littered with Oasis classics though.

Noel Gallagher plays:

DECEMBER
18 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
20 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
21 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

Fans can buy and sell tickets for Noel Gallagher at global marketplace, viagogo here.

The Darkness

The Darkness are currently on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of groundbreaking debut album ‘Permission To Land’. Not only did the record spawn timeless rock anthems ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ and ‘Love Is Only A Feeling’, but it sold so many copies, the BRITs had to add in a new category. So far on tour, the group have been joined onstage by Ed Sheeran and paid tribute to Shane MacGowan from The Pogues. Plus, there’s always modern Christmas classic ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)’.

The Darkness play:

DECEMBER
18 – O2 Academy, Leeds
19 – Rock City, Nottingham
20 – Dome, Brighton
22 – Roundhouse, London

Fans can buy and sell tickets for The Darkness at global marketplace, viagogo here.

The post These are the best gigs to see this week appeared first on NME.

Madison Beer is an artist who has experienced the best – and very worst – of the internet. Her origin story reads like a Gen Z daydream: after Justin Bieber shared her YouTube cover of Etta James‘ ‘At Last’, Beer’s name began trending on Twitter and she landed a record contract with Island Records. The Long Island native was just 13 at the time, but after the label tried to mould her into a “Disney queen”, she went independent and continued to cultivate an online fanbase. Today, she has 37.7 million Instagram followers and 18.8 million on TikTok – if she were an influencer, she would be able to command huge fees.

But it’s music that has always been Beer’s calling. In 2019, she signed a new deal with Epic Records – her home to this day – and scored her first big hit: ‘All Day And All Night’, a house collaboration with producers Jax Jones and Martin Solveig. The following year, her stripped-down solo song ‘Selfish’ climbed to number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Beer was a bona fide pop star, but she was also grappling with the toxic pitfalls of being a young woman with an online presence. In 2021, she told NME that she had opened Twitter to find #MadisonBeerIsOverParty trending “probably five or six times over the course of the past few years”.

Beer even had to deal with unimaginable slut-shaming when intimate teenage photos were leaked online – a soul-crushing episode she details in her recent memoir The Half of It. Yet throughout it all, Beer has remained an open book, especially when it comes to her mental health. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2019 and has spoken about experiencing PTSD and suicidal thoughts as a result of her leaked nudes. “I do get affected by people saying negative things about me and I get my feelings hurt very easily,” she says today when we meet at her label’s London office. “I’m a sensitive person. So I just don’t engage [now]; I just shut it off.”

Despite all the online vitriol, Beer has blossomed into a vital and surprising artist who takes genuine musical risks. Her 2021 debut album ‘Life Support’ deftly blended pop, R&B and indie, but this year’s follow-up ‘Silence Between Songs’ finds her venturing into more psychedelic territory. There are echoes of her heroine, Lana Del Rey, but also ’60s icons including the Beatles and the Beach Boys. In addition to co-writing every song, Beer co-produced the album with Leroy Clampitt and Timothy ‘One Love’ Summers. “Both of them really have allowed me to flourish as an artist and producer and, like, not be afraid to ask for [a producer’s] credit,” she says. “I do think the industry has pushed back [on that]. And I think a lot of that is power dynamics. I know for me and a lot of other women, we feel intimidated to ask; we don’t feel like we’re worthy.”

Here, in a typically candid conversation, Beer talks about her musical evolution, strategies to protect her mental health and plans to tour ‘Silence Between Songs’ in 2024.

Who were your main musical influences when you were making this album?

“This album had completely different musical inspirations than my first one. Mainly, we were listening to a lot of Beach Boys, Beatles, Zombies. I mean, the list is pretty endless, but those were kind of the main influences. And we wanted to kind of capture something that felt timeless in a lot of ways. I wanted people to be able to listen to this [album] and maybe not know what year it was from. I wanted it to have that, like, essence of classic-ness.”

When did you start getting into those ’60s artists? Did you listen to them growing up?

“No, I actually listened to ’50s music a lot growing up. I really was intrigued by it and thought it was so beautiful. And then I didn’t really deep-dive into ’60s [and] ’70s music until much later. I think it probably began with the Beatles. That was when I really was like, ‘Cool – this is what I am now going to make my entire personality trait.’ So yeah, I really loved the Beatles, and then I started to learn about the Beach Boys and Queen and so many other iconic groups that have shaped me so much. They were later discoveries, but very, very important ones.”

The song ‘King Of Everything’ deals with powerful men in the music industry. What was going through your head when you wrote it?

“There’s a few topics, honestly, within that song. There’s the direct relationship I’ve had with a few people – many people – who are those men in positions of power that I feel have maybe abused their power or not been great with it… I don’t quite know how to say it. You know, [there are] things I’ve seen and been through where now I’m older, I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’

“But then also, [the song draws from] growing up around so many successful businessmen and big celebrities and billionaire managers and seeing how, like, truly lonely a lot of those people were. How you could have all the success and money and whatever in the world, but if you’re a miserable person, you’re gonna be miserable no matter what. It was pretty eye-opening to me and something I always recognised. So yeah, in the least harsh way possible, we wrote ‘King Of Everything’ [about all of that].”

In February you published your memoir, The Half of It. Did you want the book to clear up misconceptions about you? Or are you at the point now where you don’t want to think about that?

“The book is out [and] it’s like I closed it. I said everything I needed to say.  If you read the book and afterwards you still want to have judgments or whatever [about me], I can’t change your mind and that’s fine. I know I’m still young, but I am starting to realise that in life, you create your circle and you create people that do know who you are. And I think when you’re exposed to millions of people on such a big scale, there are always gonna be people who judge you wrongly – everyone’s gonna have an opinion. ‘I don’t like what she did here.’ ‘I don’t like the way she looks today.’ 

“I can’t spend the rest of my life dying on a hill that I don’t need to, frankly. Like, I have people and fans that see me [for who I am] and I can’t spend forever trying to beg the people that refuse to give me a shot. I can’t always be like, ‘Please, I promise I’m a good person.’ So yeah, I try not to pay too much attention.”

You could waste all your energy doing that and still get nowhere.

“And I’ve done it for years: being a teenage girl and having what feels like everyone on the internet have the wrong idea of you and spread rumours about you. I mean, we all know what it was like to have a rumour go around high school about you. Imagine how it feels having the whole internet [do that]. There’s just an endless string-line of hate and mean comments, and it’s extremely difficult to grapple with.

“So I’ve spent a lot of years trying to figure out, like, ‘If I’m gonna continue pursuing this career, this is something that I’m going to have to accept and be OK with, even though I don’t think it’s OK.’ And I am very big on explaining to everybody that your words do matter and you should take them seriously. You shouldn’t just say things because you think that you’re safe behind the keyboard – that’s total bullshit. Being someone in my position, I have to accept that people aren’t going to just suddenly wake up and be like, ‘Oh, I’m never gonna leave a [negative] comment again.’ So I have to figure out what I can do to be OK with that. And I think the answer is that I have to love the person I am and then feel like no one can mess with that.”

Who is top of your collaborations wish list?

“Paul McCartney is top of my wish list for collaborations. Yeah, that’s all I’ll say, because everyone else I’m actually trying to work on. But Paul, if you’re watching this, hit me up.”

A few years ago you made a big dance hit, ‘All Day And All Night’, with Jax Jones and Martin Solveig. Would you be interested in doing something like that again?

“I love all music, so yeah, I would definitely be open to that. I think there’s so many awesome DJs and you know, I don’t know what you would categorise it as, but electronic [or] EDM [music]. So I would love to do something like that again. And people loved that song.”

Madison Beer’s album ‘Silence Between Songs’ is out now via Epic Records. She tours the UK in March and April 2024

The post Madison Beer: “I can’t spend forever trying to beg people who refuse to give me a shot” appeared first on NME.

In 1990, Orbital performed your debut single ‘Chime’ on Top of the Pops. Name any other two acts who appeared on the same episode.

“Snap! and Big Fun. I jumped into the audience and danced to Snap! afterwards.”

CORRECT. Apart from the Eurodance group and boyband, you could have also had Liza Minnelli and They Might Be Giants.

“Afterwards we tried to speak to Snap!, but they turned their noses up at us, so we left and went to a party Pete Tong had invited us to and were gobsmacked because Neneh Cherry and Boy George were there. We felt we’d hit the big-time!”

You performed with your keyboards’ plugs visible, mocking Top of the Pops’ miming policy…

“We were banned from Top of the Pops afterwards for six years for being utterly boring! [Laughs]. We were doing something new and ‘other’ than rock and roll, so having to do something as old-fashioned as miming your music on Top of the Pops felt like a crock of shit. I’m quite Lars von Trier about things. If it’s not happening for real, I can’t do it. They didn’t let us bring our own equipment, and had to get tables from the BBC canteen because we refused to use their fancy keyboard stands. I’d only stand there twirling a plug or playing with the on/off switches, so we stood looking awkward.”

What pseudonym did Alison Goldfrapp use for the tracks she sang on Orbital’s 1996 album ‘In Sides’?

“Auntie.”

CORRECT.

“She’s brilliant. We met because she was an acquaintance of Phil’s [Hartnoll, Orbital’s second member and his brother]. She had the voice of an angel and nonchalantly didn’t seem to care – you’d ask her to sing and she’d treat it casually like you’d asked her to make a cup of tea. She even asked us to help her start a [solo] career, but I was always looking for unconventional psychedelic hooks and was crap at working with singers at that time, so it didn’t work out. But then she met Will Gregory and Goldfrapp exploded. I remember her bringing her first album [2000’s ‘Felt Mountain’] to the studio, muttering ‘Oh yeah…done this…look’. I grabbed my Sharpie and said: ‘Sign this bloody record because when you’re famous, it’s going to be worth something’. She incredulously told me to piss off! [Laughs]”

At 2010s Glastonbury festival, you brought out Matt Smith for Orbital’s cover of the Doctor Who theme tune. In the show, what number Doctor he is?

“I know all the Doctors! You’ve got: William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, John Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant… so Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor?”

CORRECT.

“The controversial thing is whether we’re counting Peter Cushing’s [1960s] Doctor as canon, and whether John Hurt’s War Doctor, who is supposed to come in between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston, counts!”

Eek…just take the point and run! What was it like being joined by the, er, eleventh Doctor?

“There’s nothing more fun than walking around Glastonbury on a Saturday night with Doctor Who if you want to see people off their faces freak out. He’d never been in front of a crowd that big before and was loving it.”

As a die-hard Whovian, did you ever consider throwing your Fez into the ring to compose the music when the show was revived in 2005?

“I got vaguely close to doing it. The BBC asked me to submit a demo – which was a bit lazy and a revamp of the Orbital one that already exists – but it was a done-deal that [Who supremo] Russell T Davies would be working with composer Murray Gold. I would have loved to do it.”

On the subject of sci-fi, Orbital sampled a speech by Klingon Lieutenant Worf (played by actor Michael Dorn) from Star Trek: The Next Generation on the 1993 track ‘Time Becomes’/’Moebius’. Did Dorn ever hear it?

“I won’t say whether we did or didn’t sample it, but Michael Dorn came into a club of some DJ friends of ours, who waited for him to be on the dancefloor and then played ‘Moebius’ at him – he fell about laughing!”

Back to Glasto: its founder Michael Eavis credits your legendary NME Stage headline slot in 1994 as bringing rave to the masses…

“We were supposed to go on before Björk, but she swapped set-times with us so we could go on in darkness. Watching her go on, I lost all my bodily fluids when I heard the roar of the crowd and just thought: that’s you next. But it was amazing and Glastonbury had been craving dance music. I was there the year before when The Orb played the same slot and when they dropped ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’, it was immense. I thought: ‘Somebody’s got to do this with full-on banging techno’. I didn’t know it was going to be me the year after!”

Orbital’s Tilda Swinton-featuring promo to ‘The Box’ was nominated for Best Video at the 1997 BRIT Awards. Who beat you?

“Ah you’ve got me there! We walked off in disgust as soon as we didn’t get it [Laughs]. No, we knew we weren’t going to win. The audience was cheering for each band in the category until they announced ‘and Orbital…’ and it was tumbleweed. Who beat us?”

WRONG. You were pipped to the post by the Spice Girls’ ‘Say You’ll Be There’.

“Bollocks! I nearly said them! They recorded their ‘Spice’ album in the room below ours at the Strongroom studio [in London]. We used to have our lunch watching Neighbours with Mel C. Mel C is the only DJ on the planet to have a copy of ‘Spicy’ [Orbital’s live ‘Wannabe’ remix]. She said she loved it, so I said: ‘Here you go – have it’.”

In 1997, Orbital played Lollapalooza. Which Manchester indie band claimed they once stole golf buggies before knocking your dressing room wall down on that touring festival?

“If that’s not James, I’ll eat my hat!”

CORRECT.

“They became our party buddies on that tour. It was Brits abroad gone mental. We were put in the same dressing room as them, with curtains separating us down the middle. As banter was flying through the curtain, Saul [Davies, James member] started climbing up it, so we just removed it. James would go on at 4pm, and our set was at midnight, but when we finished, they’d still be partying, bless them. They probably just smashed a dressing room wall down of another band – but thought it was ours! [Laughs]”

Reviewing Orbital’s EP ‘Times Fly’ for Select magazine in 1995, which mothership-loving musician raved: “They got a funky drummer – I’d like to play on top of it”?

“Was it Jamiroquai?”

WRONG. George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic.

“Whoa! I didn’t even know that!”

Ever meet him?

“No, I saw him at an airport once during festival season. I once sat on a flight to Japan next to Peter Hook chatting all the way – and didn’t realise it was him until we got to the gate and I saw a sign saying ‘Mr Hook’. I’ve met some mad people. I even had Ennio Morricone bless my unborn child at one point. When we played ‘Where Is It Going?’ at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony with Stephen Hawking in 2012, we discovered he [Hawking] was a trickster and funny. He even wore our torch-glasses even though he could see sod-all to feel part of the band.”

“But if we’re name-dropping the two most incredible people I’ve met were David Bowie and Kate Bush. We played with Bowie at Phoenix festival [in 1997], and afterwards, he asked us to do a remix for him and my biggest regret is turning him down because I was stressed with work – my toes are curling thinking about it!”

How many times have you asked Kate Bush to work with you now?

“Hmmmm…only once. It won’t be the last time I ask either. I’ve not given up. I asked her on the last album [2023’s ‘Optical Delusion’] because I had a big sample of hers, but she replied: ‘No, I don’t want my music taken out of context. But I do remember you from Buckingham Palace!’”

“Because we’d met at an industry soiree at Buckingham Palace and we were told we had to stay together in a group because the Queen was coming through. Then we sneaked into the other room and tried to play their harpsichord, creating this awful din! I couldn’t believe I was playing an out-of-tune harpsichord sharing a piano stool with Kate Bush, as every face you’ve ever seen on Top of the Pops turned around looking at us thinking: ‘Who’s making that fucking racket? Oh, it’s Kate Bush and some herbert!”

For a bonus half-point: In a later Select magazine feature titled ‘If Pop Was World War 2’ in 1996, comparing Britpop to historical figures, who were Orbital bizarrely likened to? For example, Noel Gallagher was compared to Stalin*

“[Laughs] Did anybody get compared to Hitler?”

Yes! Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. “Demonic, vegetarian leader of forces of darkness, hell bent on enforcing American longhairs,” according to the Select writer.

“Jesus! [Laughs] I would like to think we’d have been compared to Monty, but even by ’96, the rock ‘n’ roll world treated electronic artists suspiciously – like witches. They still thought: ‘ I don’t know what they’re doing! The music makes itself!’. As we’ve found out with AI, the music didn’t make itself. Watching all the people afraid of AI now, I think: ‘Oh yeah, that’s what you used to accuse me of in the early ‘90s!’. Possibly we were compared to some kind of V2 rocket engineers or inventors of some war-related equipment?”

CORRECT-ISH. Close enough – you were likened to Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb, for being ‘Top boffins’. 

“I love discovering weird, obscure old articles. The first ever publication to print something about Orbital was our local newspaper the Sevenoaks Chronicle. Reading it recently, I wondered why all the quotes were attributed to Phil, until I got to the end where I say something like: ‘A few weeks ago I was in this paper because of the evils of acid house – and now I’m being applauded for doing an acid house record. Funny that, isn’t it?’ Then I remembered I was furious because the police had beaten the hell out of us ravers for having an illegal rave [then outlawed by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994] and the local paper had taken the side of the police!”

*Noel G was compared to Stalin because the latter was a “big-moustachioed leader of [the] biggest country in world, on whom victory depended. Many of [his] original political compadres vanished’, while the Oasis icon was judged: ’Similarly hirsute chief of world’s biggest band, on whom victory depends. First drummer not seen since last year.”

Complete the following lyrics: ‘Blaming everyone in hospitals/Blaming everyone at the bottom of the English Channel…’?

“Blaming everyone who doesn’t look like a fried animal.”

CORRECT. From the track ‘Dirty Rat’ – Orbital’s 2023 team-up with Sleaford Mods.

“That’s my favourite reference to gammon without saying the words! Sleaford Mods are absolute diamonds.”

Which novel does the mother wash in the video to Orbital’s 1992 single ‘Halcyon’?

“I’d put money on it being Jilly Cooper’s Riders!”

WRONG. It’s Barbara Catlin’s Shotgun Wedding.

“Goddammit! Of course. It’s implying the poor woman in the video was unhappy with her life. That’s a piece of trivia I should have known!”

You DJ-d in a 2002 episode of medical drama ER. Which character crowdsurfs during your scene?

“That’s unfair because I didn’t watch ER so I don’t know the characters’ names!”

WRONG. It’s Dr. Jing-Mei Chen.

“We’d been doing an album launch in New York, and Phil decided he wanted to go home, but our film agent said they were happy for me to do it on my own. I remember debating with one of the actors if the Royal Family could have bumped off Princess Diana, while Maura Tierney [who played Nurse Abigail Lockhart on the show] was just tutting in the background, not having any of it! [Laughs].”

Which 2004 American teen movie uses ‘Halcyon + On + On’ for its final scene?

“Mean Girls?”

CORECT.

“That intro to ‘Halcyon’ is all over TikTok at the moment which is brilliant. I’d like the upcoming Mean Girls musical remake to use a Jon Hopkins or Bicep track for that scene, so the next generation get their ambient intro.”

You’ve composed myriad film soundtracks. What’s been the most surreal Hollywood experience?

“Probably pretending to play live in [2002] film xXx, in complete silence, with Vin Diesel walking through the crowd.”

The verdict: 6.5/10

“I wish I’d just guessed the Spice Girls for that extra point!”

Orbital’s ‘The Green Album – Live – 2024’ tour, celebrating the duo’s 1991 debt album, tales place April and May 2024. Full dates can be found here

The post Orbital: “We were banned from Top of the Pops for being utterly boring!” appeared first on NME.

In partnership with Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS)

A staple in the European music calendar, Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) is set to take over Groningen early next year (January 17-20). The festival will showcase a host of emerging talent from across the continent, as festival bookers flock from far and wide to scout acts for their 2024 line-ups – as is traditional at ESNS.

This milestone also marks two decades of the ESNS Exchange Program, which has been won by the likes of Aurora, Blossoms and Sigrid in previous years. Other notable acts to take to the stage in Gronigen have included Fontaines D.C. and Wet Leg, who have since both picked up BRIT Awards and have played enormous main stage slots at Reading & Leeds Festival.

With over 250 acts on the bill, here’s who NME will be in a hurry to see across this bumper weekend…

Chalk

Who: Atmospheric post-punk with industrial undertones
From: Belfast, UK
Look out for: A sheer bombardment of energy. Drawing influence from Death Grips and Aphex Twin, the trio marry the hardcore dance of their hometown with electrifying post-punk – look no further than their latest single ‘The Gate.’ With just one EP under their belt, the live room is the only place to catch the next steps in their exciting journey, as they expand their sound one song at a time.

Elmiene 

Who: Dazzling neo-soul that’s rooted in poetry
From: Oxford, UK
Look out for: Superb songwriting that’s coated in nostalgia. Stumbling into music full-time after a viral wave that included debut single ‘Golden’ and a cover of D’Angelo’s ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’, the British-Sudanese artist is entering a new phase of his life. With glorious production and a stunningly addictive falsetto, his reflective anthems are sure to pull on the heartstrings. It’s a voice that’s destined for greatness.

English Teacher

Who: A stunning breath of fresh air in UK guitar music
From: Leeds, UK
Look out for: Their enormous 2023 single ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab.’ On a red-hot streak of intricate, impeccable singles, world domination is surely on the cards for 2024 as the quartet flesh out their discography with folk, balladry and art-rock at times. Each note, beat and syllable is masterful.

Fat Dog

Who: The UK’s latest word-of-mouth sensation
From: London, UK
Look out for: A live show that’s completely bonkers. One of a number of bands who have come through The Windmill in Brixton, Fat Dog’s all-encompassing stage show has taken the UK by storm this year – and it’s time the rest of the world caught on. Signed to Domino [Arctic Monkeys, Wet Leg], you’d be foolish to miss a glimpse of their wild, bombastic garage-punk that’s been teased through their sole single to date ‘King of the Slugs.’

Honesty

Who: Genre-less collective driven by instinct
From: Leeds, UK
Look out for: A tour-de-force in production that ranges from garage to shoegaze. Through their debut EP ‘Where R U?’, we gain an insight into their limitless world, where heavy bass and ambient rock can intertwine freely. Bringing this rollercoaster of soundscapes into a cohesive live show can change the game for this fearless collective as they head into 2024.

Idaly

Who: Sharp hip-hop star with plenty of tricks up his sleeve
From: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Look out for: His Afro-infused take on hip-hop and R&B. Already a prominent figure in  Dutch rap circles, Idaly has a million monthly listeners to his name, all on board with his soulful way of storytelling. Flip-flopping between Dutch and English lyrics, his discography ranges from beats readymade for the nightclub to deeply personal anecdotes on his latest album ‘Nachten Als Dit (Nights Like This)’.

Izzy and the Black Trees

Who: Poignant, bass-driven punk rock
From: Poznań, Poland
Look out for: Frontwoman Izabela ‘Izzy’ Rekowska channelling her inner Patti Smith and PJ Harvey. Five years on from their formation, the group have come a long way since the folky ballads of their early days, now showcasing a collection of politically charged punk anthems, with a message that can transcend far beyond their native Poland. You can feel the bass in your veins.

Leatherette

Who: Unpredictable alt-rockers armed with two eclectic albums
From: Bologna, Italy
Look out for: Some tongue-in-cheek, witty lyricism. Whether it’s the awkward brass section that introduces ‘Bureaucracy Apocalypse’ or puns about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, this is a group that takes rock down its most weird and wonderful avenues. There’s enough material in their two albums to produce some radically different live shows, be it pure noise-punk or jazzy indie – who knows which we’re going to get.

No Guidnce

Who: Boyband propelling the UK R&B revival forward
From: London, UK
Look out for: A group with contagious chemistry. Having worked with a whole host of collaborators and garnered a loyal online following, No Guidnce are putting the enthusiasm back into UK R&B, following in the footsteps of trailblazers FLO. Having only just performed their debut live show this May, their groovy, playful group dynamic makes them a must-see at ESNS.

Waterbaby

Who: Minimalist alt-pop from the Swedish capital
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Look out for: Her effortlessly woozy vocal style. Born Kendra Egerbladh, Waterbaby was catapulted into the mainstream through her feature on Hannes’ gargantuan track ‘Stockhomlsvy’, which attracted the attention of labels far and wide. Honing her soothing voice over folky guitars and shimmering string sections on her debut EP ‘Foam’, Egerbladh takes things back to basics, and in style.

The post Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) 2024: 10 essential acts to catch at the new music showcase appeared first on NME.