The British-American three-piece Gabriels will be performing a late night show at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho, and have also teased that a ‘very special guest‘ will be accompanying them. The group were thrilled to be nominated for BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2023, and are more recently excited by their nomination for Best International Group of The Year at The BRITs for the second year in a row:

It’s official. We are Nominees for International Group of the Year at the @brits, for the second year in a row. We are so grateful. Congratulations to all the nominees and a THOUSAND THANK YOUs to everyone who made this possible. See you on the red carpet – March 2nd.  #BRITs pic.twitter.com/T29gpxyOGt

— Gabriels (@___gabriels) January 24, 2024

Celestial singer-songwriter AURORA will also be taking to the stage following the release of her latest single ‘The Conflict Of The Mind.’ Born in Norway, the omnipresent vocalist has built a huge UK following, and will be performing in collaboration with the charity on February 26 at Lafayette in London.

Unveiling the two musicians as the final additions, War Child said: “These incredible acts are joining us to raise money for children affected by conflict and help give them what they deserve: hope for a better future.”

Taking place between February 19 and March 4 ahead of The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard, BRITs Week will offer exclusive live performances from a diverse range of acts from different genres, including Cian Ducrot, You Me At Six, Keane, Ash, Baby Queen, Aitch, Pendulum, Sleaford Mods, CMAT, Venbee and The Last Dinner Party.

Performances may be more poignant than usual, particularly for fans of You Me At Six who have revealed this will be their last year together as a band. Emotions may also be running high for The Last Dinner Party who are still reeling from their BRIT Rising Star win.

Clare Sanders Wright, Senior Music Manager at War Child said in a statement: “I am so excited to announce the lineup for BRITs Week 2024 and thankful to all of the brilliant artists donating their time to raise vital funds in aid of War Child. The past year is one that we will never, ever forget. Children have paid with their homes and their lives for wars they didn’t start. And then, there are the children who don’t make the headlines – children who might be completely forgotten.”

“But there is hope. War Child help children put the pieces back together. The money raised from BRITs Week 2024 will help War Child keep children safe. Whether it’s mental health first aid, food, or shelter, War Child work in the hardest-to-reach places to ensure that children and their families have hope for a brighter future. We are so grateful to the artists and our partners for supporting BRITs Week 24. Thank you.” she added.

Support acts for this year’s bill have also been announced with Keane supported by Oscar Lang, The Last Dinner Party supported by Rachel Chinouriri, Ash supported by Big Image, Aitch supported by AWxJ1, You Me At Six supported by The XCERTS, CMAT supported by Lorraine Bowen and Baby Queen supported by Lynks. UK radio stations up and down the country will also be promoting and celebrating the week, showcasing the wide range of talent on display.

Ben Cooper, Chief Content & Music Officer for Bauer Media Audio UK commented: “It’s a privilege to be partnering with War Child and for Bauer Audio brands to be hosting this year’s incredible line up of BRITs Week gigs. The ability to showcase such a diverse range of artists highlights the strengths of all of our stations with incredible acts for every single listener to tune in to – whether that’s on KISS or Kerrang! Radio, Absolute Radio or Hits Radio. Bringing these live events to our audience will allow us to shine a light on the vital work of helping children that are the victims of conflicts across the globe.”

Tickets are on sale now and available here. You can also enter a prize draw to win tickets to see an artist of your choice. Fans can make a £7 donation for one entry, a £15 donation for three entries, or a £30 donation for fifteen entries to War Child. To maximise the chance of winning, fans can enter as many times as they like. The prize drawn is open now and available to enter here. The closing date to enter is February 19. Full details and terms and conditions are outlined on the official Brits Week website.

The BRIT Awards 2024 will take place at the O2 Arena in London on March 2.

BRITs Week 24 for War Child:

February

19/02/2024 – Cian Ducrot – Union Chapel, London
19/02 – You Me At Six – Concorde 2, Brighton
20/02 – Keane – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
21/02 – Ash – The 100 Club, London
21/02 – Baby Queen – Lafayette, London
21/02 – Aitch – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
23/02 – Pendulum – HERE at Outernet, London
26/02 – AURORA – Lafayette, London
27/02 – Gabriels – Ronnie Scott’s, London
28/02 – Sleaford Mods – Scala, London

March

01/03 – CMAT – Bush Hall, London
01/03 – Venbee – Omeara, London
04/03 – The Last Dinner Party – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge

Latham according to NME explained “Wannabe” as “a song I wrote about the way other people have perceived me throughout my life. I feel like I’ve always had something to prove to other people and I’ve always been trying to fit into an ideal of who I should be and how I should behave.”

She then continued “That changed when I became Baby Queen, I found a place I belonged and people who fully accepted me for who I am. By the standards of the people, I grew up with, or used to try so hard to be friends with, I might be weird or crazy or ‘the girl who kisses other girls; or a total wannabe, but by the standards of my people, I am great just the way I am.”

Latham also further added: “The song is an invitation to accept yourself and embrace the labels that are given to you by small minded, boring people. If this is what it means to be a loser, then I hope I’ll be a loser for the rest of my life.”

Earlier this week she also played her first-ever headline show at London’s Omera and has recently announced details of her debut UK headline tour, taking place in April 2022.

hi UK tour presale tickets have sold out and general sale tickets are available now I LOVE YOU https://t.co/c8f6F5Ceb1 pic.twitter.com/ASqEQeG2qZ

— Baby Queen is a wannabe (@babyqueen) November 12, 2021

All pre-sale tickets sold out quite fast as Baby Queen shared on her social media but general sale tickets are available for fans to purchase here.

Baby Queen UK Tour Dates:

04/19/22 Patterns – Brighton
04/20 The Deaf Institute – Manchester
04/21 Brudenell Social Club – Leeds
04/23 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut – Glasgow
04/24 The Cluny – Newcastle
04/27 Electric Ballroom – London

Talking about the song’s message, Bella Latham (Baby Queen’s real name) said to NME “This song compares a childlike infatuation with the idea of the American dream, which in hindsight is a bit of a fallacy, but there were people that did get to experience it and reach the prosperity they’d heard about.”

Speaking about the album at large, Latham described the importance of capturing a whole range of emotion, and said to NME that  “I want the listener to feel like they’re on the top of a London bus, travelling through a city they’ve moved to for the very first time, seeing the world through new eyes…It’s an American coming-of-age film. It feels confusing, happy, free, lonely… all of these things you go through when you are growing up.”

The artist further explained that she is “really into manifestation – not in a spiritual way, just in a very practical sense. I think if you put all your energy into something by talking about it all the time or thinking about it, the course of your life will naturally bend towards that thing…this song is me manifesting my dream to be with a certain person. It’s essentially a song about a childlike crush you are cheeky enough to plan out inside your own head.”

MAY-A, a huge fan of Baby Queen’s previous single “Want Me” was excited to be brought on board for this track and told NME, “It’s a fun one to sing!”

Yoooo I’m featured on @babyqueen‘s new single ‘American Dream’ and issa smash! Super psyched to be a part of this song!

 

The British Music Embassy typically takes over a venue every year at SXSW in Austin, Texas, putting a spotlight on the best new music from around the UK. As the festival is virtual this year due to the ongoing global health crisis, the British Music Embassy has recorded live performances which can be watched on the SXSW portal. A selection of performances will also be made available after Easter for all to view on SXSW’s YouTube channel.

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The full British Music Embassy line-up for SXSW Online 2021 includes 404 Guild, Afronaut Zu,  Anna B Savage, Baby Queen, Beauty Sleep, Black Country, New Road, Chubby and The Gang, Connie Constance, Do Nothing, Drug Store Romeos, Ego Ella May, Enola Gay, Finn Askew, The Goa Express, IDER, Katy J Pearson, Lau.ra, Lilla Vargen, Matilda Mann, The Mysterines, Nayana IZ, Olivia Dean, Onipa, Penelope Isles, Phoebe Green, Porij, PVA, Ryan McMullan, Sinead O’Brien, Squid, Tayo Sound, TV Priest, Virginia Wing, Walt Disco and Yard Act.

Speaking about the event in a press release, Paul Pacifico, Chief Executive Officer at AIM said; “We’re delighted to be returning as a British Music Embassy partner for SXSW 2021. It has always been a key stepping stone for the careers of independent artists, and a valuable way to accelerate their journeys on the international stage. Although we can’t attend in person this year, the positioning of British Music within the virtual showcase platform is the next best thing and a crucial moment to showcase exciting British talent to the world.”

Northern Irish singer-songwriter Lilla Vargen shared her excitement about being on the virtual line-up saying; “The past year has been devastating for live music, and SXSW being able to go ahead in some form is a light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully can signal the return of more opportunities like this. I can’t wait to head to Austin when it is safe to do so.”

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The British Music Embassy is brought to you this year by AIM, BBC, BPI, the Department for International Trade, PPL, PRS for Music, and PRS Foundation, with further support from ATC, media partner DIY Magazine and Belfast City Council. Since 2008 it has hosted over 450 UK artists, positioning them in front of a global audience in order to help them to break into new markets and advance their careers. The British Music Embassy also uses UK-only production and equipment, giving artists from the UK an unparalleled platform on the world music stage.

Check out the SXSW showcase at The British Music Embassy through the SXSW portal or on SXSW’s YouTube channel.

‘These Drugs’ is about what it says on the tin – Baby Queen’s experiences about her nights out.  The chorus is a simple hook ‘Every time I take these drugs to pick me up / all I ever do is cry’, but in these 16 words, Baby Queen manages to encapsulate a feeling that many could relate to. She openly starts the song with acoustic guitar chords and saying ‘I don’t want to do drugs anymore / if you saw me through the eyes of a bathroom stall / you’re skin would crawl / I’m high’. By the end of the single, the track picks up with Baby Queen’s iconic indie-pop beat and full vocals. 

Taking to Instagram, the singer stated posted her story and honesty surrounding the tracks lyrics. She believed the song ‘wouldn’t be allowed to be released or that releasing it wouldn’t be a good idea. It just felt really important and that’s all I’ve ever wanted music to be; so I knew I had to share it with you.’ She states she was in a bad place and believes she wasn’t a good person but she’s happy now, with her antidote to misery being ‘gratitude and caring about myself’ even if she didn’t want to.

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‘These Drugs’ came with a music video that premiered at 11am today (24th February). Baby Queen is known for her fun and colourful music videos, thinking back to ‘Raw Thoughts’ which was shot at Margate’s Dreamland and Baby Queen dancing around with her friends. ‘These Drugs’ has a similar feel in that Baby Queen is with her friends with vibrant, psychedelic backgrounds, but due to the songs nature it is more solemn, showing the singer alone in a bathroom stall, crying and then quickly cutting to dancing with her friends. This shows the singers honesty in her experiences with drugs and nights out, depicting her mental health during these moments and fluctuations of emotions.

This is Baby Queen’s second single of 2021, described as ‘confessional yet unifying’. The singer ended her open Instagram post about the track, saying ‘You’ve got to invite the sad parts of yourself in to have a tea party with you. Don’t ignore them and cover them up. If you don’t look at them, they’ll make themselves seen! You are so worthy of love and I hope that if you don’t see that yet, you will learn to in time.”

‘Raw Thoughts’ is a song about going out, doing daring things and being an ‘amalgamation of every feeling’ Latham told NME. Ironically, Baby Queen admitted to the song being written on a hangover, stating ‘I had been on one of the biggest nights out of my entire life and had woken up dreadfully hungover. The song came out like word vomit the next day. I was partly thrilled, partly coming down and partly ashamed of myself for what felt like a betrayal of innocence.’

The track is a glittering example of an indie-pop anthem. The infectious and catchy track is definitely a song to bop to, with probably many relating to and remembering to lyrics (such as ‘crying in the AM’.) She said that the track was highly important to her becoming Baby Queen. “Raw Thoughts’ is probably the most important song I’ve released to date because it’s actually the song that catalysed what has become the sound of Baby Queen.” She carried on to state, ‘“I had been going through a terrible breakup, and discovering partying was like discovering freedom. I was going to places my ex had never been, I was meeting people they would never meet and doing things that would make their skin crawl. I think I fell in love with the danger of it. I had realized that I could do or be whoever I wanted to be, even though the only thing I wanted was to be loved by them again.’

The music video is a fun and warm accompaniment to the track. Baby Queen and her friends are having a blast by the beach in Margate, dancing in front of the retro arcades ‘Dreamland’ sign and enjoying the scenic view. It goes hand in hand with the indie-pop beat that you can’t not bop your head to!

The 23 year old singer has also attracted the attention of Courtney Love, who was impressed with the new singers lyricism and new tracks. Love stated in an Instagram post, “Lyrics SO good. Death and guns and beating the gay kids up, it doesn’t happen to you so why give a f*ck. And ALL of ‘Pretty Girl Lie’. ‘Want Me’ immaculate. Sh*tty French accent has me laughing so hard..”

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A post shared by Courtney Love Cobain (@courtneylove)

Baby Queen’s debut EP ‘Medicine’ received wide spread attention, achieving four-stars by NME and gaining her a place on ‘The NME 100: Essential Emerging Artists of 2021’. Born in South Africa but now London based, the new pop-star has created her very own ‘Baby Kingdom’, where she regularly keeps in contact with her close fans, chatting about topics from Taylor Swift to politics. Her reasoning being that ‘..these people that I’ve connected with over the past few months are more similar to me than any of my actual friends that I have in real life.’

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The track feels like a rework of the Christmas favourite, with Latham bringing a flirty charisma to the track. Backed by a light instrumental, the artist latches on to the suggestive lyrics, as she sings about her Christmas wishes with irresistible charm. The result is a track that feels like a new classic of the festive period.

“My dad used to have this Christmas mixtape that he would play every year when it hit December 1st, so Christmas music has always been a really big part of my life, but I think it’s hard to cover a Christmas song without feeling like it’s contrived.” The artist said in a press statement. “When we started talking about covering a Christmas song, there was only one that came into my mind like “this is a song Baby Queen would write,” and it’s Santa Baby. I love how cheeky and satirical the lyrics are. They feel really youthful and tongue-in-cheek which is how I’d describe a lot of the music I released this year, so it just made total sense to me.”

Her previous release ‘Medicine’ received rave reviews from critics, with many critics cementing Baby Queen as a rising pop sensation. “Pop stars aren’t really made, they arrive. Roll out the red carpet and clear the way – the era of Baby Queen is coming up fast,” said DORK magazine in a recent interview. It seems that Baby Queen has spoiled fans with this latest release atop her debut EP and, provided the perfect festive single for the Christmas period.

You can listen to Baby Queen’s cover of ‘Santa Baby’ below: