In one corner, we have Duran Duran, one of the biggest British pop and new wave acts of the 80s – in the other, American guitarist and producer Nile Rogers, founding member of Chic, an iconic figure in the history of funk and disco music. While both acts had their heydays in the 20th century, neither have been remotely quiet in the 2000s – Duran Duran have consistently released quality albums, while Rogers has enjoyed immense success with his Chic-revival live shows and chart-conquering singles like those with French house duo Daft Punk.

Duran Duran have worked extensively with Rogers, since both parties met at a Blondie concert in 1982. Rogers said of it “From the moment we met, we loved each other, we were running around the venue like little kids.” Rogers remixed the band’s 1984 song ‘The Reflex’, which shot to the top of the charts in the UK and US, becoming Duran Duran’s first American number one single. Rogers later produced and played guitar on their 1986 album ‘Notorious’, as well as contributing to their 2015 single ‘Pressure Off’, and has described Duran Duran as his “second band”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Duran Duran (@duranduran)

In a news bulletin on their website last June, Duran Duran shared that they had entered London’s famed Abbey Road Studios to record new music with Rogers. Last week, they began teasing the project, revealing the song would be called ‘Free To Love’ and would premiere on BBC Radio 2 at 7:30 this morning, the 23rd of April. The promotional material hinted at the music video being inspired by the BBC’s famous-but-retired chart show Top Of The Pops, a TV programme remembered fondly for the aesthetic style of its 70s and 80s designs. Both the music video and song are certainly a throwback. The video, which is produced by Grammy-winning director Jonas Åkerlund, is a beautiful pastiche of Top Of The Pops, starring DJ Clara Amfo as a presenter, while the song itself captures Duran Duran’s timeless pop sound within a sexy, disco groove driven by Roger’s signature funk guitar playing.

Duran Duran’s members write about the single on their site, with singer Simon Le Bon saying “Free To Love is disco for the 2020s. It’s up-beat and up-tempo; it’s about freedom; it’s about loving the modern world instead of hating it, and that is something we need right now. Be free! Be free to love!” Keyboardist Nick Rhodes mentions their joy at working with Rogers again, adding “Every time we plug in and play with Nile, the electricity he generates could light up a whole city. We share a common belief that music is a force for good and something that brings positive energy into the world. ‘Free To Love’ is our call to all the people out there who want peace, hope and understanding to prevail.” Their post also includes a quote from Nile Rogers, who says “True love is free and unconditional. My love for Duran Duran and what our music together has always been about, is the love we share for our song’s deepest meanings. Whatever chaos is going on outside, inside the studio we’re free to love our peace.”

‘Free To Love’ is out now on streaming platforms, ahead of Duran Duran’s blockbuster BST Hyde Park show on the 5th of July. Scissor Sisters have been announced as special guests on the bill, with further acts to be announced. Nile Rogers is playing in the UK this June and August, with full dates and tickets on his website.

Though Summer passed away in 2012, her legacy feels more alive than ever. Announced by The Songwriters Hall of Fame this week following a posthumous ceremony of honour, her induction is not only a tribute to the icon but also a renewed celebration of disco’s artistry and cultural significance, something often underappreciated during its heyday.

When single ‘Love to Love You Baby’ arrived in 1975, it scandalised and seduced in equal measure. Produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, its early-electronic throb and hypnotic sensuality marked the dawn of a new era. Together, Summer and Moroder created a sound that would become the foundation of modern pop, electronic and dance music- a fusion of pulsing synthesisers, lush instrumentalism and an unrelenting rhythm that captured the euphoria of the dancefloor.

Summer’s voice moved effortlessly between intimacy and ecstasy, from the subdued sighs of ‘I Feel Love’ to the defiant drive of ‘Hot Stuff’. Her performances gave the music something that technology alone could never provide: soul. As electronic instruments rose to prominence, she humanised them, making the robotic feel romantic.

‘I Feel Love’, released in 1977, has since been acknowledged as one of the most influential recordings in modern music history. It anticipated techno, house and the digital revolution that would dominate later decades. Brian Eno famously told David Bowie that the song would change the future of music. The likes of Madonna, Beyoncé, and Kylie Minogue have drawn from Summer’s work, featuring pulsating beats, sensual liberation and unfiltered confidence, using iconic samples directly from her music (E.g, Beyoncé’s ‘Naughty Girl’).

But Summer’s career went far beyond disco’s mirrored ball. She was a pop star who transcended genre, finding strength in reinvention. Hits like ‘Bad Girls’ and ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ showcased her versatility while grounding her in anthems of empowerment and endurance. She balanced the divine and the everyday, glitz and gospel, turning dance music into something deeply human.

This Hall of Fame induction cements her legacy as more than a disco legend; it affirms her as one of the great innovators of modern sound. The genre she helped pioneer was once dismissed as disposable, but without disco’s rhythmic DNA, electronic pop as we know it wouldn’t exist.

Donna Summer made people dance, but she also made them feel free. Her records offered escape and empowerment in equal measure, celebrating self-expression and joy at a time when both were political. As the Hall of Fame recognises her monumental impact, the lights of the dancefloor glow a little brighter, now illuminated by the powerhouse who helped build it.

Other 2025 inductees included hugely regarded performers like Outkast, Cyndi Lauper, Sound Garden, The White Stripes, each honoured in the November ceremony.

In the meta new video, Dua stars as herself making a music video. Dressed in pieces from her new clothing line, La Vacanza, in collaboration with Verscace, the star weaves between giant falling disco balls, pink polished cars, and shimmery clothing rails whilst singing “I’ll still keep the party runnin’, not one hair out of place”. Watch Dua dance the night away below:

Chatting to Dazed this month, Dua Lipa revealed, “Greta said that the whole film was inspired by disco. There’s a lot of very glittery and pop moments in it.”

One of the most anticipated films of the summer for lovers of kitsch, Barbie is set to arrive in cinemas worldwide on 21^st July. With the elite team of Margot Robbie in the titular role, Ryan Gosling playing the beloved himbo Ken, and Ladybird director Greta Gerwig taking the reins, Barbie’s live-action debut seems to be in good hands. Watch the third trailer, released on Thursday the 25^th May, below:

The supporting cast is also jam-packed with A-listers including Helen Mirren, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ncuti Gatwa, and Emma Macke.

Dua Lipa will make a cameo in the film playing a mermaid Barbie. It was announced last month that the singer would be in the film when a poster of her in character in costume was released.

More details surrounding the rest of the soundtrack were also revealed this Thursday alongside the newest trailer. Ava Max, Charli XCX, GAYLE, HAIM, Ice Spice, KAROL G, Pink Patheress, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, and Tame Impala are just some of the artists joining Dua Lipa on the cheery pop soundtrack. Mark Ronson is the executive producer of the soundtrack which will be released on the same day as the film.

In other news, Dua Lipa will be hosting a live recording of her podcast, At Your Service, at the famous Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales on the 3^rd June. Unfortunately for fans, Dua’s event at the literary festival is now sold out.

Dua Lipa is currently working on her third album which she’s previously told The Wall Street Journal, “I’ve done a big chunk of writing: It’s starting to take shape; I’ve got a lot of it recorded”.

See below for details of Dua’s appearance:

03/06/23 – Hay Festival – Hay-on-Wye

The dance-pop diva took to social media on the 25^th April to announce the ten-date tour. Ware will be jetting off to the States to play around North America this October before returning to the UK to play three shows in Manchester, London, and Glasgow in November.

Tickets go on sale for the tour on Friday 28^th April at 10 am BST. Click here for tickets and more information.

Jessie wrote in the caption to the announcement, “I have never been more ready to tour an album! Touring my last album was the biggest thrill for me…the dancing, the choreo, I loved it all. The That! Feels Good! tour will be a continuation of that…but even bigger, even better, and even more dancing and a whole lot more of YOU!! My biggest UK shows ever!!”

Ware will also be playing three dates in Europe this summer in Portlaw, Paredes de Coura, and Biddinghuizen.

That! Feels! Good!, Ware’s fifth studio album, is out tomorrow (28^th April). The album is preceded by three euphoric singles in Jessie’s signature playful and sensual style: “Free Yourself”, “Pearls”, and “Begin Again”. Watch the video for “Pearls” below:

In an interview with the Independent, she said she wanted this album to “feel sensual and sexy”. She listed her influences for the soul and funk-inspired album as Minnie Riperton, Teena Marie, and Rotary Connection.

So far, the album has been a hit with critics receiving praise from NME, Financial Times, The Skinny, and Our Culture Mag. NME dubbed Ware a “forward-facing pop visionary” and gave the album a four-star rating. With vocals from fellow nu-disco icon Roisin Murphy, disco dabbler Kylie Minogue, and Jessie’s own mum Lennie Ware on the title track, how could it not be marvellous?

Co-producing the album is member of the Last Shadow Puppets and record producer James Ford and prolific record producer, DJ, and electronic musician Stuart Price. Ford worked with Ware on her previous LP.

In 2020, Ware’s fourth album, What’s Your Pleasure, put the artist firmly back in the spotlight. The record not only received widespread critical acclaim and a spot at number three on the UK album charts but also earned Ware a Brits Award nomination for Album of the Year. Jessie released the deluxe edition of the album What’s Your Pleasure? Platinum Pleasure including the sensational “Please” in 2021.

For Jessie Ware’s full UK & Europe dates see below:

04/08/23 – Curraghmore House & Gardens – Portlaw
16/08 – Praia fluvial do Taboão – Paredes de Coura
18/08 – Lowlands Festival – Biddinghuizen
10/11 – Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
13/ 11 – Barrowlands – Glasgow
17/11 – Alexandra Palace – London

pic.twitter.com/Oo6fCEFN6Q

— Cornershop (@CornershopHQ) April 20, 2023

The track, released today on Ample Play Records, a record label created by Cornershop’s own Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres in 2009, and also on Naya Beat Records, the label Pinky Ann Rihal are currently signed to, is a blissful, disco-pop number, featuring exquisite Hindi vocals from Pinky Ann Rihal and Cornershop’s classic and trademark fusion of psychedelic, electronic pop with sitar-driven Indian music.

Watch the music video for “Disco’s Main Squeeze” below:

Alongside the delightful, psychedelic disco music is a music video featuring Pinky Ann Rihal, clad as Hindi hippie disco titans (naturally), being interviewed and performing on a live music programme, Eastern Eye, sometime in the 1980’s. A subtle ode, then, to better times, when disco-pop was at its peak of its powers?

Cornershop was formed in Leicester in 1991 by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Tjinder Singh, alongside his brother Avtar on bass, Ben Ayres on guitar and keyboards and David Chambers on drums. The band released their first album, Hold On It Hurts, in 1994 and followed this with Woman’s Gotta Have It the following year, but it wasn’t until the release of their third album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997), when the band achieved critical acclaim and found success. The album reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and brought with it the single “Brimful of Asha“, a song that, after a remix by Norman Cook, became hugely popular and soon reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

Watch the music video for hit single “Brimful of Asha” below:

The album also contained a Punjabi version of “Norwegian Wood” and featured the prominent American poet Allen Ginsberg on the track “When the Light Appears Boy“. Cornershop have gone on record nine albums in total, releasing their latest, England Is a Garden, in 2020.

Pinky Ann Rihal first came to fruition in the early 1980s, created by Harry Rihal and Jati Sodhi, two Punjabi musicians who had immigrated to London a decade earlier. The band also consisted of vocalists Pinky Rihal, wife of Harry, along with Anne Barrett, who in turn was married to the band’s producer, John Hamilton. The group’s first and only album, Tere Liye, was released in 1985 but that hasn’t stopped the band having a continued influence on South Asian rock and pop music since.

You can buy the track here.

The previously released singles off the new album are the tracks Magic, Say Something and I Love It. The new album has an additional 9 more songs, making it a 12 track album. Kylie has also released a Deluxe Version of Disco which has an edition 4 more tracks Till You Love Somebody, Fine Wine, Hey Lonely and Spotlight. 

The pop princess has already received massive critical praise for her 15th studio album and has been very busy promoting Disco around London throughout the day. Kylie’s day began celebrating the album release at 8am on BBC Radio 2.

The singer went on to perform acoustic live-versions of 4 songs off her new album for The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. She was then scheduled to co-host The Top 10 right after on The Greatest Hits Radio with Mark Goodier at 10am.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) on Nov 6, 2020 at 12:00am PST

Later in the day Kylie has expanded to American audiences with her performance of her track Say Something on the show Good Morning America at 1:30 UK time. Since, she has also released a slew of media posts promoting the new release and thanking different music outlets and fans for the overwhelming praise and support.

The Australian born singer is hosting a ‘Disco Listening Party’ tonight for the new album and a special Q&A for the fans. The show is going from 5pm and on indeterminately, the gig will be hosted by Facebook as a platform.

Notably, among the promotional events Kylie has been attending today, she is also hosting a ticketed livestream concert tomorrow, Saturday November 7th. The virtual live-show is scheduled for 8pm in the UK and will be called ‘Kylie: Infinite Disco’, the gig will see the singer performing her new pop tracks to a global audience and calling it a  ‘worldwide performance spectacular’.

Tickets are still available to order here. Kylie has not scheduled any live in person shows for 2020 or 2021 yet due to safety concerns surrounding the Covid-19 global pandemic. Kylie’s new and highly praised album Disco is out now on all streaming platforms.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) on Oct 29, 2020 at 2:09pm PDT

Though currently living in London, Kylie was born and raised in Australia and holds the title of the highest selling female artist of all time in her home country. The European Press has notably names Kylie the ‘Princess of Pop’ and the singer is widely beloved throughout all of the UK.

The singer remains internationally famed as well, being named as an Officer by the Order of the British Empire for her services to the music industry and even has the title of Knight, Chevalier in French, by the French government for her impact on French culture.

Kylie began her career originally as an actress on the Australian soap-opera ‘Neighbours’. She made her break in to the music-sphere in the 80s with 4 back to back albums that became sensational for her popularity. Her disco-pop style earned her many top 10 singles in the UK, among her most popular are the tracks I Should Be So Lucky, Locomotion, Hand on Your Heart and Better the Devil You Know.

In 1994 she released her self-titled album which was met with massive critical praise, afterwards the singer released 3 more studio albums leading up to the early 2000’s. The most successful album of her career to date was released in 2001 called Fever. The album which sold over 5 million units world-wide, catapulted her to a different kind of international popularity with the breakout single Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.

Among many business ventures, including children’s books to fashion, Kylie reinvented her acting career in the 2000s with her most notable film being ‘Moulin Rouge!’. Kylie re-appeared on the television screens in 2014 when she sat as one of the judges for The Voice UK and The Voice Australia.

Among many business ventures, including children’s books to fashion, Kylie reinvented her acting career in the 2000s with her most notable film being ‘Moulin Rouge!’. In 2014 Kylie appeared on the televisions screens because she sat as one of the judges for The Voice UK and The Voice Australia.

Tomorrow Kylie will appear on multiple radio shows to promote the release of the newest and highly anticipated album Disco. She will also perform at ZoeTheBall on BBCRadio 2, host a listening party and Q&A. Kylie is also promoting her livestream show, ‘Kylie: Infinite Disco’ on November 7th which will feature songs off her upcoming album.

Due to safety concerns surrounding the current Covid-19 pandemic, Kylie will not be hosting any live in person gigs and has not yet announced if there will be a 2021 tour. If fans wish to experience a live show by Kylie, tickets for her livestream gig are currently on sale here.

Featuring the vocal harmonies of Jenna G, known for her work with Camo and Krooked and Netsky, the track is exactly what you’ve come to expect of Krystal Klear, with a funky beat introducing the track before developing into a move-your-feet style disco tune.

Having been backed from the early days by huge names within the dance music industry such as Benji B, Mistajam and Steve Smart, Krystal Klear seems to be making waves in the industry now, with Addiction recently climbing into the top ten of the club chart.

Similar to the type of tracks label mates such as Skream has released, the track is a throwback to the disco movement of the 90s with a modern twist to it. Could disco boogie be making a comeback? Only time will tell, but in the meantime Krystal will continue doing what he does best, grooving out some big tracks that will ensure you keep your feet on the go.

Check out the video for Addiction below. The song is released on September 1st on Rinse Records, and will feature remixes by Danny Byrd, Tiger & Woods and more.