View this post on Instagram

A post shared by My Chemical Romance (@mychemicalromance)

This will be the band’s first return to the UK since 2022, when they returned for their first set of shows back in ten years and released a new single ‘Foundations of Decay’. Guitarist Frank Iero spoke to Rock Sound about his shock at the band’s resurgence upon their return:

“It’s bizarre that it still strikes such a chord with people. There was this organic growth that was happening without our knowledge, without us really doing anything. I’d like to think that is testament to the art that we put out and that it withstands the test of time and still resonates. We put a lot of work into it and I’m proud of 99.9% of everything we did. But it’s shocking to me, man.” Fans were screaming all their favourite songs at the reunion shows, with Gerard Way’s angsty stage presence still in full force.  

@endlessnightmcr oh…my….lord!! . . #mychem #mcr5 #mychemicalromancelive #mcrtour #mychemicalromance #mcr2022 #mcr #mychemicalromancetiktok #mychemicalromancetour #mcrlive #mychemicalromancereunion #mychemicalromancevideos #mcrmy #gerardway #frankiero ♬ original sound – EndlessNightMCR

The announcement comes during the band’s ‘Long Live The Black Parade’ North American Tour where they’re paying homage to their ‘The Black Parade’ era, performing songs from the legendary 2006 rock album in their gothic military uniforms. 

 This tour is kicking things up a notch with live theatrics, as Way led a “practice of democracy” on stage. The band conducted an out-there experiment, bringing out four people on stage with sacks over their heads and inviting audience members to vote “yea” or “nay”. When the audience voted “nay”, Way performed a mock execution in classic, politically bold, Black Parade style.

@lianachristinee oh yea here’s the execution #mcr #mychemicalromance #longlivetheblackparade #sanfrancisco #mcrtour ♬ original sound – Liana Christine

The tour has been full of surprises, with the band also sharing an unreleased song ‘War Beneath The Rain’ from their pre-break up project ‘The Paper Kingdom’, which never ended up coming out.   

@mcrchive Brand new unreleased MCU chemical romance song war beneath the rain from the never finished paper kingdom/MCR5 #mychemicalromance #gerardway #blackparade #mcr5 ♬ original sound – Lauren’s MCRchive

The audience went crazy hearing the unreleased track from such an early project that many thought would never see the light of day. One fan posted on social media, saying: “IT SOUNDED SO BEAUTIFUL”.

Find updates on My Chemical Romance’s upcoming UK tour along with music updates and merch on the band’s official website.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by cosmorat (@thecosmorat)

The American-born band, now based in England, have been making waves in London’s indie music scene. They burst in full force with their debut single ‘Backseat Baby’ produced by Danio Forni from art rock band Husky Loops. With a confident introduction, they acquainted themselves with listeners as young, bored, and reckless, touching on classism and police issues.

The ‘POOSHKA’ EP comes a year after their record ‘Evil Adjacent’. In an interview with DIY, Taylor Pollack spoke about the inspiration for the project, saying: “The title ‘Evil Adjacent’ is, to me, about holding hands with and walking beside your and other’s demons, all the while growing up with climate change, constant wars, and opioid epidemics, and having to accept the reality of it all.” 

Despite the bleakness, Pollack speaks positively about resilience, focusing the single on its optimism. She says: “Still, I am inspired by the resilience of people, being able to find joy and make it through. ‘Backseat Baby’ was my ode to messing around in our middle of nowhere town, where loads of the kids had some pretty terrible home lives but could still get all giddy sneaking out and lighting fireworks off at the local football fields. Being able to find that joy is so special to me. Life is hard! Let’s dance and scream.”

Cosmorat have been releasing a series of singles in the run up to ‘POOSHKA’s release on September 17, including ‘Bad Boys Go To Heaven’ and ‘Stealing!!!’. Here, we got a glimpse of the alt gloom and destruction to come with ‘Gimme Whatcha Got’, and the EPs remaining songs yet to be released. 

Catch Cosmorat at their charity show on August 12, performing alongside Bleach, Dove Ellis, and Hungry. Tickets are available here with other upcoming gigs and updates. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rose Gray (@rosegray_)

The original track is a hyperpop delight and emotional highlight from the album with a pulsing beat under dreamy, siren vocals. ‘Everything Changes (But I Won’t)’ has quickly become a favourite on the record, reaching over 3 million Spotify streams.

As a well-loved track from the record, some fans are saying what draws them to it, is the song gives “intense nostalgia”.

Gray is known for her emotional perception of London’s clubbing scene. The artist spoke about her track ‘Party People’ from the ‘Louder, Please’ album with Paper, sharing: “It’s a sad club anthem that is my ode to the party people I have met since I started clubbing. I have been fascinated with those characters that rule the night, and they do it with such grace and balance. I am a party person, but I have friends and people that I know that are just born to be in the club and socialize, and I’m quite fascinated by them as characters.”

The reworked version is electronic, layered, and hypnotic with Shygirl’s iconic ethereal vocals and resonant production from Casey MQ. On the collaboration, Gray told Dork Magazine: “I’ve loved Shy’s music since her first EP dropped. There was no one else I wanted to reimagine this track with. Same goes for Casey MQ, an absolute genius. I flipped the lyrics slightly and focused on a moment where everything had changed ‘so fucking much’. It’s orchestral, it’s sexy. I’m so excited to share what I’ve been working on,”

This hasn’t been Gray’s only recent music partnership, working with Kesha and Slayyyter on their latest power pop anthem ‘ATTENTION!’

Shygirl has been spearheading some exciting collaborations along with Gray, including her latest EP ‘Room 2 RMX’  which features some huge new and established names, such as Florentino, BAMBII, Jorja Smith, Isabella Lovestory, and more. This follows her exciting feature on Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ track ‘365’. 

Meanwhile, Casey MQ released his orchestral pop single ‘Head Over Heels’ just three weeks ago following his hit album ‘Later That Day, The Day Before, Or The Day Before…’

Gray is currently performing as a support act for Kesha’s The Tits Out Tour. Find tickets on Kesha’s official website, and find out more about Gray’s headline shows this October here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by YUNGBLUD (@yungblud)

Yungblud went on to say, “This building is a literal physical space where you can place your hands upon its bricks and belong. Here we have built a place to be yourself and find people with similar ideas to you. Whether it be to buy the clothes we make, come for a coffee, buy a beer, watch music, do an art class or just come and play pool you’re welcome, all we demand from you is that you spread the love.”

The location is a cultural hotspot for music lovers with its origins as a sheet music supplier. The spot then got the popular nickname “Tin Pan Alley” as an homage to American music publishing. The street has homed some iconic music shops like Francis Day & Hunter along with high-rise recording studios. Denmark street has since become a huge location for music venues, with some of its biggest shows from The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix and so many others.

Yungblud credits the street, saying it “has paved the way for The Best of British music since the 1950s. I grew up on the street. It has always been my dream to have a building here.”

The store will be a hangout spot and live music venue, whilst selling the artist’s iconic merch lines. Fans have been sharing their excitement on social media, photographing the upcoming store in all its b.r.a.t glory.  

@urbanangeljewelry.co This will be magical Can’t wait! X #yungblud #lowlife #idols #yungbludzombie #yungbludlyrics #urbanangelco #yungbludfire #yungbludarmy #20denmarkstreet #urbanangel #yungbludinspired #yungbludstyle #yungbludfans #yungbludvibes #yungbludaccessories #yungbludlover #urbanangeljewelry #concertready #handmadeforconcerts #musicinspiredjewelry #yungbludlooks #yungbludhandcrafted #yungbludcreations #jewelryforthefans #yungbludconcertwear #alternativefashioninspo ♬ original sound – Edward

Many were also speculating in the comments whether the artist will make an appearance at the store opening. 

Yungblud has been making huge moves with his latest projects, sharing his latest album ‘Idols’ last month. This new record explores true authenticity and vulnerability. He told Sound Of Brit “I never met David Bowie, I never met Freddie Mercury. Everything I got from that poster, or learned from that music, came from within me,”. This sentiment makes his Denmark Street project all the more personal, understanding his music roots and appreciating his artistry as his own. 

Sign up to attend the launch here, and find more updates on his official website.

The single’s expression of jealousy and heartache is exacerbated by an addictive indie grunge sound. The singer paired the track with a music video inspired by popular BBC Three Drama Normal People. Directed by Bonnie MacRae, the video recreates iconic scenes from the show.

Fans are obsessed with the parallels, likening the narrative to the show’s protagonist Marianne. One fan wrote in the comments, “Chloe nailed that ache of being “the other girl”, even the toothbrush line feels so Marianne after the Debs fiasco.”

Slater told Dork Magazine how the concept came about, saying: “What started as a running joke about me looking like Daisy Edgar-Jones turned into a full-scale recreation of my favourite scenes,” she goes on to share, “We were laughing on set when the shots matched perfectly. I’ve never eaten so many ice lollies in my life!”

When teasing the track, fans were convinced that lead actors Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal were filming for the show, since Slater has posted about her resemblance to Jones.

@chloeslater333 haha do i look like her? #fyp #normalpeople #daisyedgarjones #mariannesheridan ♬ original sound – maria..editssz

Slater has been on a release streak these past few years, sharing her ‘Love Me Please’ EP in February this year, including one of her most streamed songs ‘Fig Tree’. The punchy indie track resonated hugely with her fans, with praise for its criticism of female beauty standards.  The punchy indie track resonated hugely with her fans, with praise for its criticism of female beauty standards. Across her series of intimate shows, the single was one of her most widely loved and anticipated.  

@crazyconcertbestie @Chloe Slater wrote a literal anthem and now we’re singing along with her in a record store #fyp #chloeslater #figtree #chloeslaterlive #acoustic #acousticguitar #thesubstance #feminism #aging #beautystandards #ageism #agegracefully #girlhood #girlhoodcore #relatablesong ♬ Fig Tree – Chloe Slater

Following the video release, Slater announced news of her Choose A Life tour, with title inspiration from the ending hook of ‘Fig Tree’, playing venues that she describes as “a real milestone”. The singer will be commencing her tour at Portsmouth’s Night Currents Festival, and ending at Academy 2, Dublin, hitting some huge UK spots on the way including The Fleece, Bristol, and The Garage, London.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

A post shared by Chloe Slater (@chloeslater333)

Catch Slater on tour this November with tickets available on her official website.

Banks’ romantic, airy vocals hit even harder by Humberstone on their acoustic version filmed at Queen Caroline’s temple in Kensingston Gardens, right next to Hyde Park.

Banks originally entered the arts on the West End before hitting the screens in the BBC series, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, in July last year. 

She then made her break into music with her debut single ‘So Green’, released ahead of her 6-track EP ‘Untie My Tongue’. The sprinkly, indie-folk single floats over your ears in a stripped-back vulnerability that immediately has listeners hooked, pushing it to just under 1 million listens on Spotify. The rest of the EP has a similar acoustic, earthy style, particularly in her highest streamed song ‘Feel The Rush’ at over 3 million listens. 

With a feature on Humberstone’s hypnotic indie track, Banks is still teasing her own music, with a snippet of a potential new song posted to Instagram yesterday (July 27). 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Asha Banks (@ashaabanks)

After Humberstone’s huge live success supporting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour last year, the artist will be performing around Australia later this year. Find tickets and other exciting updates on her official website. 

The hypnotic folk ballad, produced by Philip Weinrobe, was released with a romantic music video, where Mescal’s voice shines in a dark red theme.

Mescal teased her heartbreak anthem on Instagram, filming herself in an empty field with the caption “got carried away need to reconnect don’t text me”.

This new track marks a change for the artist as she goes from indie sorrow to folk storytelling. Mescal told Dork Magazine, “It’s a song about asking for reassurance from someone you’re in a tumultuous relationship with and being disappointed by their answer,” she then explained the crux of the story with its title, “Instead of saying they love you back, they say they just got carried away.”

Though, this fresh new track comes with an emotional honesty that’s been present throughout her career, quickly capturing the hearts of listeners worldwide. On ‘Can I Miss It For A Minute’, Mescal explained in an interview with Vogue how this vulnerability comes about in her writing process. She said, “I was writing with my friend yesterday, and he said, ‘Sometimes we write stuff, and we don’t even realize those are our feelings about it […] Then all of a sudden it’s written, and we’re confronted with the fact that we said that, so we mean it.”

The artist has had a quick rise to fame after the EP reached the Scottish Top 100 Album Charts, performing some exciting gigs from joining Florence and the Machine on tour to supporting Shania Twain at the BST Hyde Park Headline show in July. Mescal has also concluded her set of intimate shows around the UK just two days ago (24 July). Fans recorded her last night in Cardiff, with Mescal’s captivating charm silencing the audience at Wales’ signature rock venue, Clwb Ifor Bach.

@keelalaa Nell Mescal performing ‘In My Head’ live from Cardiff! @Nell Mescal #nellmescal #inmyhead #smallartist #acousticmusic #livemusic #cardiff ♬ original sound – keela

You can catch Mescal at several UK festivals this summer, including Newcastle’s Come Together festival and Reading & Leeds. Find tickets on the artist’s official website. 

“this project is a luv letter to the woman I am right now. a luv letter to luv in all its forms and me in all of mine. we’ll talk about it more over the next two weeks but for now, save the date!!!”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by mahalia (@mahalia)

The ‘Luvergirl’ EP will include her recently released singles ‘Different Type Of Love’, ‘Pick Up The Pace’, ‘Pressure Points’, and her most recent, ‘Instructions’.     

This latest playful dance track produced by Malik Ninety Five and Mike Baretz has got fans hyped for the summer, with a TikTok trend following the dance’s directions in their individual dance styles.   

@sheobolu #fyppp ♬ Instructions – Mahalia

‘Luvergirl’ was written across the UK, Jamaica and St. Vincent, with features from Masicka, Tanya Stephens, Bayka, and more. The project follows her 2023 album ‘IRL’, which teased her new sonic direction as she leans into her heritage and explores Jamaica’s music scene. 

The singer has been involved in several projects while writing her new EP, namely the launch of her R&B showcase night, Mahalia Presents, in which she shines a spotlight on the most exciting emerging talents. She spoke to Culted about the foundations of the project and her pride for its ongoing celebration of new artists.

“I used to put them on in Leicester when I was about 16. That was all about bringing artists from out of the city into ours. I always wanted to start it up again, but I didn’t know how and realised it was time to jump back in! It’s still one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I’m so proud of it.” 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MAHALIA PRESENTS (@mahaliapresents)

 Mahalia has also launched several clothing lines, from a collaboration with Puma in 2024, to the release of her own bikini collection, ‘Hibiscus’ in July. The bikini is designed with swimwear brand RAQ with the ethos “A bikini for everyone”.  

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

A post shared by mahalia (@mahalia)

Here’s the full tracklist for ‘Luvergirl':

1. ‘Different Type of Love’ ft. Masicka

2. ‘Pity’ ft. Tanya Stephens

3. ‘Pick Up The Pace’ ft. Bayka

4. ‘Instructions’

5. ‘Testing’

6. ‘Pressure Points’ ft. Lila Iké

7. ‘Farewell (Pretty Jamaica)’

Presave the EP and stay up to date on her latest projects and gigs on the artist’s official website. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Daniel Caesar (@danielcaesar)

The post videos a deserted landscape with an overlay of soul baring text, in which Caesar shares “I’m trying to write a letter announcing the album, but I want it to be profound and clever. I have this secret desire to think and express a thought that’s never been thought before. But alas.”

The letter goes on to reveal musings on his father’s history, saying “When I was little any time my dad was disappointed in me or felt as though I needed motivation (or he wanted me to understand him, which I didn’t at the time) he would tell me his carefully curated but true origin story. He would tell me of the glory days of the Jamaica tourism industry and how he would sing dinner music at Doctor’s Cave Beach to foreigners from all over the world.”

The video continues with introspective thoughts on family, religion and one’s sense of self. He ends his Instagram letter with “Everything is vanity. Family is everything. Be truthful and forthright in your dealings. Never forget that god is the only eternal measuring stick for morality. I am nothing, but in my flesh I am Spergy’s Son, and in my spirit I am God’s.”.

Sampha’s involvement  in the upcoming album is an exciting new collaboration happening alongside the R&B singer’s recent movements. Sampha recently featured in Oscar Farrell’s latest single ‘Dream Therapy’, a melancholic alt-R&B release from Farrell’s upcoming EP ‘So Far South’. 

Sampha’s last solo studio album was his second, ‘Lahai’, released in 2023. On the record, he spoke to Interview Magazine about his improvisational process, saying

“I’ll take in information and I’ll incubate things. I don’t really plan. The most planning of sessions I’ll do is who’s going to come, the equipment, and what kind of production style I’ll go for, and then I’ll just go with the flow. It’s a lot of improvisation.”

This intuitive electronic soul production will be an exciting feature on Caesar’s gospel-influenced style which will likely appear in his new album.

The project comes after some huge collaborations with Blood Orange on their single ‘The Field’ as well as a production feature on Justin Bieber’s unexpected new album ‘SWAG’. 

Find updates on Caesar’s new album here, and news on Sampha’s solo projects on the artist’s official website.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Imogen Heap (@imogenheap)

The anniversary release will feature updated cover artwork and a remastered version of her frequently sampled hit song ‘Hide And Seek’, which has been released ahead of the full record. The engineer of the original track, Simon Heyworth, has worked on the remastering of the album alongside Heap. The two spoke about the process and influences in a recent YouTube video.

After four studio albums, Heap’s last project was her 28-tracked 2014 album ‘Sparks’, an atmospheric elevation of electropop. Since then, she has worked on the soundtrack Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, and had her ‘Speak For Yourself’ lead single ‘Headlock’ go viral on TikTok.

The song re-entered the UK Top 40 charts in January this year– two decades after its original release. Fans used the track on TikTok to edit popular shows, such as the Netflix thriller series Squid Game.   

@sqrvfx I loved their dynamic!! wait for the drop! longer version of my previous edit! EVERYTHING IS FAKE ⚠ IT’S FAKE GUN$⚠ FAKE SCENES ⚠ FAKE EVERYTHING #squidgame #squidgame2 #edit #foryоu #headlock #001 #player #456 ♬ suono originale – aras

With her streaming revival, the artist then released a new EP ‘Off Cuts’ with her electronic pop duo group Frou Frou. The singer began producing music with fellow member Guy Sigsworth in 1996 with their only studio album released in 2002, ‘Details’. Their reunion couldn’t have come at a better time, and their hit single from the album, ‘A New Kind Of Love’, has reached over 200 million streams since its release in 2022. 

The song has also received a huge amount of remixes with its unique production style. The version mixed by Hoodtrap was a fan favourite, with over 2 million Spotify streams.

Heap has a few more exciting plans with her tech pop production, speaking in an interview with The Guardian on her vision to use an AI twin to streamline her music process. She says, “It’s about empowering the song to have the tools to go and collaborate, to go and make love with different people,”.

Catch Heap’s next exciting music venture and pre-order the album remaster on the artist’s official website.