ANNOUNCEMENT

We’re launching Radio 1’s Live Lounge Introducing, giving a brand new artist a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform in the world famous @BBCR1 Live Lounge on @claraamfo‘s show

All the details & how to apply here https://t.co/Zxv3aTWCSf pic.twitter.com/hp3PJAk1xn

— BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network Press Office (@BBCRadio1PR) March 2, 2021

 To take part, an emerging act has to upload one and it’s best original track to the BBC Music Introducing Uploader or tag an existing track in the uploader as ‘Live Lounge’. There is a one week window to do so, starting at 10am Saturday 13th March and closing on Saturday 20th March at 11.59pm. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of experts, including Introducing alumni artists, Radio 1 Dj’s and producers, who will then select the best five tracks and ultimate winner. The encouragement from BBC can’t be missed: “This is your heads up – get prepping!” The winner will perform in Live Lounge and will be filmed and aired on BBC Radio 1, “and you could share the same stage as the likes of Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles and Jorja Smith – to name a few”. Chosen act will be heard by millions of listeners.

Come through new newwwww. * *mastering every single one of these instruments isn’t necessary. https://t.co/pYxoYClWUK — Clarbie (@claraamfo) March 2, 2021

 Since launching in 2007, BBC Music Introducing has played a significant role in the careers of many artists. Head of Radio 1 – Aled Haydn Jones says: “Music has always been at the heart of Radio 1, and now more than ever, it’s imperative that we are a key part of the artist’s journey right from the very beginning. It is part of our purpose to help nurture and develop new talent, so we felt now was the perfect time to launch this project in partnership with BBC Music Introducing, helping to propel some of the UK’s best undiscovered acts onto a national stage as we begin to emerge from what has been an incredibly tough time for the industry.” 

Clara Amfo adds: “The Live Lounge has always been a source of some truly magical moments for established artists at Radio 1 over the years, so this is an exciting opportunity for box fresh artists to be a part of it! Introducing has been a constant space of discovery for our new faves, so I can’t wait to see who this search uncovers and welcome them on to the show!”

Clara has been hosting Live Lounge since 2015 when she took over from Fearne Cotton. She gives upcoming artists great advice with regards to submitting their music: “Approach it as you would for any performance: You need to do it like it’s gonna be your last. Pick a song that truly shows the best of you and a song that makes you feel good. The best performances I’ve always enjoyed from an artist are songs that serve them first. I’m sure you’ve got your crowd-pleasers, no matter how big your fanbase is, but for me it’s about the song that makes you feel the best. Because I think that will play into your performance. Serve yourself first”.

Before you enter read the full terms and conditions on Radio 1 website.

At 7:00pm today, radio 1 alumni Annie Mac had the pleasure of sharing the performance on her show. This marks the latest iteration of lockdown gigs that Tame Impala have blessed the world’s ears with during the pandemic.

Annie Mac teased the special performance earlier on social media, hinting that she would also be speaking closely with Tame Impala during and after the performance. Mac shared a snap of herself and Kevin Parker to Instagram, the post in question gathering over 4000.

View this post on Instagram

The latest album from Tame Impala is called The Slow Rush. It starts with these words Do you remember we were standing here a year ago / Our minds were racing and time went slow / If there was trouble in the world we didn’t know / If we ever cared we didn’t show” Like so much music, there is a whole new resonance to these lyrics in light of the events of 2020. It was released on valentines day of this year, just when Covid 19 was becoming more than a rumour. Just when everything stopped and time went really fast. Suddenly it’s November and I don’t know how it’s November because time has flown but somehow February feels like a decade ago. The nine months that have passed since then have been the opposite of a slow rush – a fast sludge? A quick crawl? Thank f**k for music. Tonight Tame Impala have recorded us a live gig from their studio in Perth. They filmed it themselves and you can hear it and see it at 7pm on @bbcr1 and on the Radio 1 youtube. Kevin Parker will be our special guest chatting through his year. X

A post shared by Annie Mac (@anniemacmanus) on Nov 11, 2020 at 4:39am PST

Within the lengthy caption, Mac inserted the intro of One More Year, the first track from Tame Impala’s most recent album, The Slow Rush, meditating upon its striking relevancy during today’s climate, where time feels both sped up and stock still. 

Mac wrote: “Like so much music, there is a whole new resonance to these lyrics in light of the events of 2020.” This idea certainly appears in the opening lyrics, which read: “Do you remember when we were standing here a year ago/Our minds were racing and time went slow/If there was trouble in the world we didn’t know.”

On October 2nd, Tame Impala played Is It True and Elephant from Perth’s International Stadium, HBF Park. Elephant is from the 2012 released Lonerism, whilst Is It True is taken from Tame’s most recent album, The Slow Rush. It is no coincidence that Tame delivered Is It True from a football stadium, as the track has been selected for the official soundtrack of Fifa 2021. 

Tame Impala’s cult track The Less I Know The Better, started to play as Mac’s radio show began. The immensely popular song is taken from Tame’s third studio album, Currents, that came out in 2015. 

During the special performance, Tame Impala gave a dazzling performance of Is It True. Kevin Parker, whose voice sounds exactly the same as on record, is the epitome of living live performers. If the listener closed their eyes, it would sound exactly like a fully-fledged Tame gig. If only. 

Parker also covered Nelly Furtado’s 2006 smash, Say It Right. The unlikely but awesome pairing was offered for Annie Mac’s world-famous Live Longue show. BBC Radio 1 shared both Is It True and Tame’s Say It Right cover on their official YouTube channel, both of which can be watched in full here.

The Slow Rush is out now.