Have you checked out the #RSD25 list yet? Tell us your top picks in the comments below https://t.co/YdFzKBjkYM

— Record Store Day UK (@RSDUK) February 6, 2025

Record Store Day has become an annual celebration ever since it first started in 2008, and now it is more famous and popular than ever with all the best selling artists in the world joining in. While the initial goal of the event was that to support small and independent record stores, it has now become a staple in the music culture and a date that vinyl collectors await with much excitement, as it is the one day in the year where we can all get our hands on a new, very limited edition, a recording from decades ago or a special deluxe edition which will only be available on the day.

Among the most anticipated records are:

1. Taylor Swift – ‘Fortnight’

The lead single from Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ will be available on 7″ white vinyl, with one side featuring the song and one side featuring ‘Fortnight [BLOND:ISH Remix]’ which will be available for the first time on vinyl.

2. Oasis – ‘Compilation Time Flies‘

The compilation which ranges from 1994 to 2009 will be available for the first time on vinyl.

3. Charli xcx – ‘Number 1 Angel’ 

The artist’s third mixtape, originally released in 2017. It was only released on vinyl as a double pressing with ‘Pop 2‘ and will be released on a new pressing for the first time ever for RSD.

4. Charli xcx and Billie Eilish – ‘Guess’

The collaboration between Billie Eilish and Charli xcx, which earned them a number one on the UK songs chart and was included in MXDWN’s best songs of 2024, will be released for the first time on vinyl.

5. Sam Fender – ‘Me and the Dog‘

British singer and songwriter Sam Fender was announced as the ambassador for this year’s edition of Record Store Day. The artist will also be releasing an exclusive RSD pressing of a special six tracks EP titled ‘Me and the Dog‘, which will also include two brand new tracks.

Other artists that are releasing special editions or limited pressing of their music for RSD include Fred Again with the very first release on vinyl of the EP ‘Actual Life Piano Sessions’, a new live recording from Elton John, a live recording edition of ‘The Secret of Us’ by Gracie Abrams and Griff ‘Live at Alexandra Palace’.

The full list is available here, and RSD also offers a feature to check which store close to you will be participating.

Earlier this month, Eurovision stars Måneskin announced that due to “scheduling conflicts” they had to cancel their appearance at the festival. “We love and miss the UK and all of our beloved UK fans and we’re absolutely gutted to no longer be able to play these shows,” they wrote in a post on their social media. The festival organisers then followed up by posting “We are saddened to hear that Jack Harlow and Måneskin have decided to perform at an award show the same weekend they were confirmed to play Reading and Leeds,” on their Instagram story.

This blow came after headliners Rage Against The Machine pulled out due to frontman Zack de la Rocha’s leg injury. A statement on Twitter was released saying: “Per medical guidance, Zack de la Rocha has been advised that the August and September 2022 UK and European leg of the Rage Against The Machine tour cannot proceed. It is with great disappoint that we announce this cancellation.” Soon after, The 1975 were announced as their replacement. This will mark their second appearance as headliners after their 2019 set. 

@OfficialRandL
Its not easy to find a headline festival act in short period of time but the replacement you have are not on the scale of RATM and are not even of the same genre of music. If you are not offering refund for sunday ticket holders that is absolutely unacceptable.

— Ryan Arthurton (@RyanArt9119) August 12, 2022

The changes to the line up have garnered mixed responses from ticket holders with one Twitter user describing The 1975 as a “downgrade”  and another saying that The 1975 were “not even of the same genre of music”.  The festivals’ refund policy states money can only be returned for a “material alteration which, in Festival Republic’s opinion, makes the event materially different to the event that ticket purchasers expected”, but it also mentions that “changes to the line-up” or “changes to a band” does not make consumers entitled to a refund. 

The announcement of the latest additions, Charlie XCX and AJ Tracey has also got some festival-goers feeling let down with on saying Reading and Leeds has “lost its identity” and another asking why there wasn’t a rockbound replacing Måneskin. A lot of the disappointment seems to be from those who had booked tickets to see bands more associated with the rock and indie genre; something which Reading and Leeds has been synonymous with since its inception. 

Gone are the days where one could simply get by on the quality of a good song, in the current climate it’s arguable that a starting out Nirvana couldn’t get on the radio with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” without the thousands of followers necessary to prove their worth. Today it seems the music industry is operating in an almost exclusively algorithmic market that relies more on numbers and statistics to provide proof of an artists potential than it does the traditional ‘gut feeling’ of a cigar toting A&R. Junior scouts now struggle to convince their bosses on a hunch, they need the backing of thousands of thirsty comments on the artists latest well lit bedroom post to gain approval. In many ways it makes complete sense, why risk your job signing someone with no following when you could sign an Instagram model who already has millions of fans in place? It’s a no brainer right? Increasingly the answer seems to be yes, and it’s getting a lot of artists both undiscovered and established in quite the tizz.

Take Halsey for example, you may consider the 27 year old New Jersey singer a house hold name, and you wouldn’t be wrong, she’s sold over 165 million records and streamed over 6 billion times in the US alone, but that doesn’t make her immune to Tik Tok’s sting. In a recent post captioned “I’m tired” she explained how her record label were barring the release of a new song she loved unless they could “fake a viral moment on Tik Tok”. The result? Ironically, 8.8 million views, on Tik Tok.

@halseyI’m tired♬ original sound – Halsey

She’s not the only one, other notably hacked off heavyweights include FKA Twigs, Charlie XCX, Florence Welch, and Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem, all of whom went to their respective social media outlets to vent their frustration. It’s an interesting conundrum, as Taylor keenly points out “Why are labels so desperate to apply the same techniques to every artist, treating them as social media commodities to sell or personalities to market, rather than talented musicians with their own unique creations, fanbases and brands?”. It seems the ability to remain somewhat mysterious and aloof is largely lost in the ‘share all’ culture that’s emerging, with artists that leaned on their mystique heavily like Florence + the Machine feeling the pinch.

Where this is all going to end up and how damaging or transformative it’s going to be for the industry I don’t know, I’m only allowed 500 words, but one thing’s for sure, it’s certainly stirring up a lot of drama on both sides of the fence.

The singer documented her process online since she began writing in early April 2020; she recorded each song completely alone with only the equipment available to her while in isolation. Sharing drafts and demos as they were written, the 27-year-old has embarked upon something which most artists shy away from. But, her bold choices paid off as fans appreciated the collaborative nature of her social media posts. Fans were asked to help choose artwork, singles, and even to send in clips for the ‘Forever’ music video.

recap of the final week of “how i’m feeling now” thank u for all of your contributions & support. it’s been an amazing experience i’m so proud to have you all as my fans out tomorrow!! pic.twitter.com/6aJFCv6VXa

— Charli (@charli_xcx) May 15, 2020

Luckily, Charli was able to collaborate with fellow musicians, songwriters, and producers online to create a unique album – less than a year after her previous release, a self-titled studio album which reached number 14 on the UK Albums Chart. One primary collaborator was BJ Burton, a producer and songwriter who has worked with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Bon Iver, and Lizzo.

In an interview with the BBC, Charli said that “there are a lot of other creative people who can’t work during this time – so, for me, doing this project is also a way to support some of those people, whether that be video editors, or the painters who are doing my artwork, or 3D designers, or video directors.”

The themes of ‘How I’m Feeling Now’ revolve around love, from the feeling of falling in love on ‘Party 4 u’, to the fear of losing it on ‘Detonate’. Prior to the album’s release, Charli shared three singles which represent her experiences during isolation, two of which have gained close to 3 million plays on Spotify. ‘Claws’ and ‘Forever’ show two sides of the music and, in their respective videos, present the singer-songwriter getting creative however she can at home.

Charlie XCX began her career in 2010 when she signed to Asylum Records and released her debut album along with hit single ‘I Love It’ in collaboration with Icona Pop. She has since shared three more studio albums, toured the world, and supported artists including Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, and Coldplay.