Douglas McCarthy, frontman with industrial group Nitzer Ebb, dies aged 58
No cause of death given for influential electronic body music vocalist whose punchy, declarative style found fans across both rock and dance
The best albums of 2025 so far
Bon Iver straddles stark indie-folk and poppy R&B while PinkPantheress makes an unarguable case for going out out as we revisit six months of the music you mustn’t miss
‘I’m closer to the end than the beginning’: British soul legend Omar on EastEnders, Stevie Wonder and his industry battles
He’s worked with the cream of US neo-soul and is seen as a national treasure by his peers – so why is Omar underrated? From hits to label struggles, he revisits the highs and lows
Pitbull review – like a children’s party, but with loads of booze
With a hedonistic seize-the-day message, the pop-rapper resembles a cult leader or motivational speaker – and his followers are willing to overlook the faults in his live show
Add to playlist: GB’s open-hearted pop and the week’s best new tracks
The latest innovator to emerge from the RMC, Copenhagen’s music school and alt-hothouse, Gustav Berntsen combines off-kilter rock with unabashed yearning
‘We want to stop in our prime’: Saint Etienne on their final album, turning down Cher’s Believe, and why pop is a dying art
The Britpop-defying indie trio are calling it a day after 35 years. From having their minds blown by techno to fireworks night with Aphex Twin, they recall the highs – and explain their eternal ‘psychic’ bond
Jorja Smith review – mega-watt charisma powers ambitious new songs
Touring for the first time since 2018, Smith’s sonic palette has expanded and tonight she shows a talent that could take her almost anywhere
Sónar festival hit with artist boycott over alleged links to Israel
More than 70 artists inlcuding Kode9 and Lolo & Sosaku have signed a letter in opposition to the owner of the event’s business interests in the West Bank
Add to playlist: the high-octane unpredictability of debbiesthuglife and the week’s best new tracks
The DJ coalesces her quickfire sensibility, which spans noughties dancefloor fillers, Jersey Club, drum’n’bass and dubstep, into a chaotically fun brew for the late-night crew
‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint’: surviving the 50-hour, non-stop techno festival
New York’s fourth Wire festival treated those with enough stamina to a weekend full of unrelenting dance music
Shanti Celeste: Romance review – bright, beguiling tracks from a DJ who does what she wants
Six years on from her acclaimed ‘fast house’ debut, the UK singer-producer invites listeners into a sunlit space between night out and morning after
Sauna fiends, space dogs and Jesus Christ Superstar: it’s the 10 best Eurovision songs of 2025!
From an Estonian rap-dance celebrating Italian cliches to a Serbian power ballad sung by a karate-champ philologist, there’s something for everyone at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest
Add to playlist: Merseyside rapper EsDeeKid and the week’s best new tracks
With a magnificent scouse accent and entertainingly debauched lyrics, EsDeeKid is blowing up fast – plus check out new music from Fiona Apple and more
PinkPantheress: Fancy That review – sharp-minded bops hop across pop’s past and present
Denigrated by some as the epitome of attention-deficit youth, the English pop musician became huge nonetheless – and her latest has an inspiringly free-associative feel
Desire: The Carl Craig Story review – goatee-stroking homage to a techno legend
There’s a suitable air of scholarly sobriety to this music documentary about the influential Detroit DJ, but he still remains an enigma