Spotify’s biggest sin? Its algorithms have pushed artists to make joyless, toothless music

Most musicians can only make money on the platform by writing songs inoffensive enough to get on to one of its vapid playlists, says Guardian columnist John Harris

Sabrina Carpenter review – brilliantly bonkers innuendo-stuffed delirium

This 1970s variety show complete with title cards, cheesy voiceover and overt sexiness could be Carry On Carpenter, but the star has more in her arsenal than just kooky camp

Nick Grimshaw: ‘Getting people to talk about music is the same as talking about food. Both are full of memories’

The DJ and podcaster on taking over the 6 Music breakfast slot, coping with grief, and what he learned working as an intern at MTV

One to watch: Divorce

Fresh from supporting Bombay Bicycle Club and Everything Everything, the Nottingham four-piece’s richly diverse sound is made for big-hearted storytelling

Jack White review – rock’n’roll showman makes believers of us all

Touring his 2024 solo album No Name in a barnstorming gig, the former White Stripe plays fast and loose with the truth but is absolutely the real deal

‘We joke about who’s getting their knees done’: the rock veterans still touring into their late 70s

Yoga and ice baths have replaced all-nighters, but musicians such as Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Rick Wakeman and Elkie Brooks aren’t planning to retire any time soon

Gracie Abrams review – telling references tied together in a big, bland bow

Her songs recall Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, so much so it’s hard not to wish you were listening to them instead. Not that that bothers her excitable young fans

Annie Lennox and friends review – a euphoric celebration of female solidarity

In her first performance since 2019, Lennox’s rare charisma makes her the star attraction during a fundraiser that also includes Nadine Shah, Beverley Knight and Celeste

Sasami: Blood on the Silver Screen review – a quirky move to the mainstream

The US artist segues from industrial metal to radio-friendly pop most memorable for its vividly relatable lyrics

Tokimonsta: Eternal Reverie review – a life-affirming journey through dance music

On her seventh album, delayed by personal tragedy, the US producer calls in collaborators aplenty on a high-energy set interspersed with tender moments

The Tubs: Cotton Crown review – a blistering, joy-to-heartbreak masterpiece

The London-based Welsh rockers follow up their great 2023 debut with more supercharged guitar, vintage songcraft – and a devastating conclusion

Brian James, founding guitarist of the Damned, dies aged 74

James was the lead songwriter for the trailblazing British punks’ first album Damned Damned Damned and went on to collaborate with artists such as Iggy Pop

Spiritbox: Tsunami Sea review – cataclysmic throat-shredding with a side serving of soul

The Canadian metal band’s second album is an adventure in songcraft, from boulders of invective to ruminative, poppy grooves

New Order review – classics front and centre, but electronic pop pioneers can still surprise

Among Joy Division anthems and dancefloor classics that conjured the Haçienda’s heyday, the Mancunian icons showed they can still switch it up

Lady Gaga: Mayhem review – a fabulous return to her freaky first principles

After some noteworthy musical and cinematic misfires, Gaga gets back to her core themes of sex, sleaze and celebrity on an album that sounds not retro, but relevant