Bad Bunny scored one of the night’s most coveted trophies, taking home Album of the Year for ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos‘ further cementing his status as a crossover force who moves freely between Latin music and the mainstream pop charts. The Puerto Rican star arrived at the show with six nominations and left having made history for Latin representation in the Grammys’ top categories. His win capped a year in which Spanish-language releases continued to dominate global streaming and festival lineups.

Kendrick Lamar reaffirmed his place as one of rap’s defining artists, converting a leading tally of nine nominations into multiple wins across the evening. He took Record of the Year for ‘Luther’, his collaboration with SZA, extending a run of critically acclaimed projects that have bridged commercial success and social commentary. Lamar’s victories follow his clean sweep at the 2025 Grammys and underscore the Recording Academy’s continued recognition of his ambitious studio work.

Pop icon Lady Gaga also enjoyed a strong night, collecting Best Pop Vocal Album for ‘Mayhem‘ a project that saw her return to high-energy, theatrical pop after recent project in film and jazz. She was also in the running for Song of the Year with ‘Abracadabra’ highlighting her continued presence in the Grammys’ most competitive fields. While she missed out on that top songwriting prize, Gaga’s wins reinforced her reputation as one of the ceremony’s most reliable performers and nominees.

For British artists, the 2026 ceremony proved especially significant. London singer-songwriter Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist, marking a major breakthrough on the global stage after several years of critical acclaim at home and steady chart growth. Fellow UK talent Lola Young won Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Messy’ a confessional track that beat out previous Grammy favourites including Sabrina Carpenter and Gaga in one of the night’s most closely watched categories.

Beyond the headline names, the winners’ list showcased an eclectic mix of genres and generations. Billie Eilish took Song of the Year for ‘Wildflower’, while British veterans The Cure won Best Alternative Music Album for ‘Songs of a Lost World‘ reflecting how legacy acts and emerging stars continue to coexist on the Grammy stage. With nearly 100 awards handed out across pop, rap, rock, R&B, dance, global and classical fields, the 2026 edition painted a picture of an industry still dominated by a handful of marquee names but increasingly open to fresh perspectives from across the world.

At the centre of this year’s spotlight is none other than Lady Gaga, who leads with an impressive 12 nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Song of the Year. Her critically acclaimed visual projects for ‘Abracadabra’ and ‘Die With a Smile’ (a duet with Bruno Mars) have put her in strong contention to win.

Bruno Mars follows closely with 11 nominations, while Kendrick Lamar claims 10, proving the ongoing power of hip-hop and R&B at the VMAs. Not far behind are Sabrina Carpenter and BLACKPINK’s Rosé, who each secured eight nominations, the latter making history as one of the few K-pop soloists to break into major categories.

The Artist of the Year category lists some of the world’s biggest names: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Morgan Wallen, and Kendrick Lamar join Gaga in challenging for the award. For Beyoncé or Swift, a win could break their current tie of 30 VMA trophies each, making either the most-awarded VMA artist of all time.

This year also marks a step forward in genre recognition, with the VMAs introducing two fan-voted categories: Best Pop Artist and Best Country. The move reflects the increasing crossover between genres and the role that global fanbases, especially those in the UK, Europe, and Asia, play in shaping modern music culture.

With its expanded reach, genre diversity, and global talent pool, the 2025 VMAs are no longer just an American pop culture staple, they’re a worldwide celebration of music, creativity, and fanbases, peaking the interest of fans this side of the pond.

For viewers in the UK, the VMAs are available to stream on Paramount+.

Gaga has paid tribute to Lennon multiple times throughout her career. In 2012, Yoko Ono honored her with the LennonOno Grant For Peace. In 2015, she delivered a powerful rendition of ‘Imagine’ at the opening ceremony of the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

During the press-conference, Lady Gaga stated: “I think it would have been John Lennon,” she shared. “He had such a beautiful heart, and that’s one of my favourite things in music history, when an artist isn’t just remembered for their songs, but also for their heart.” The artist also reflected on her deep admiration for Lennon by showcasing her peace sign tattoo, which holds personal significance. “This peace sign was always outside 72nd Street by the Dakota, where he was tragically taken from the world,” she explained. “Yoko Ono would leave flowers there every day. I got this tattoo because of that. I never forgot what he stood for, and it’s what I stand for too.”

Her connection to Lennon isn’t new. In a 2011 NME cover story, she compared herself to him, citing their shared struggle with creative satisfaction. “I am perpetually unhappy with what I create,” she admitted. “Even if I say ‘Edge of Glory’ is a pop masterpiece, I’ll always hear things I wish were different.” She recalled Lennon expressing similar frustrations in his 1980 Playboy interview, where he revealed he disliked certain songs despite their widespread acclaim.

That same year, she worked with Lennon’s former Beatles bandmate, Paul McCartney, on a track for ‘High in the Clouds’, an animated film based on McCartney’s 2005 children’s book. She once shared a behind-the-scenes Instagram photo from the studio, featuring McCartney and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. Recalling how their collaboration came to be, she posted: “Always a good time with my buddy. I’ll never forget when he called me to work together—I hung up the phone because I thought it was a prank!”

A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)

Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated seventh studio album, ‘Mayhem’, officially dropped on March 7, marking her first full-length release since 2020’s ‘Chromatica’. It also follows ‘Harlequin’, her companion record for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’.

Praised for its bold sound, ‘Mayhem’ received a four-star review from NME, which described it as an album where Gaga “dials everything up to 11.” The review highlighted how she remains true to her signature maximalist style, resisting contemporary pop trends in favour of crafting longer, immersive tracks.

Abrams’s ‘That’s So True‘, which charted last week as number three has fallen to the fourteenth position, while ‘Apt’ by Rosé and Bruno Mars currently charts at number eight. While we predicted last week that Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’ would challenge Young’s ‘Messy’ for number one, the America Singer has yet to climb to that position and currently charts at number three.

1. Lola Young – ‘Messy‘

It is British pop sensation Lola Young’s fourth week as number one, after climbing charts for ten weeks. The song originally debuted at number 87, weeks after it was released on streaming platforms; its success is mainly to be attributed to its popularity on the TikTok platform, where it went viral last year. It is the artist’s first and only song to achieve the number one position, as well as her first song to ever chart.

2. Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us‘

Lamar’s latest album, ‘GNX‘, debuted at number one in the UK upon its release. ‘Not Like Us’ originally debuted on UK charts in May of last year at number 10 and eventually fell out of the top 20, charting at 94 two weeks ago. But with Lamar’s recent (and widely discussed) Super Bowl halftime performance, the song has once again climbed charts.

3. Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra‘

Last week, we had predicted that Gaga’s spell with ‘Abracadabra’ would claim the number one position over Young’s ‘Messy’, since it has debuted at number six with only a couple days of chart units. However, ‘Abracadabra’  has still to climb a couple positions before it can mark the artist’s fifth number one song.

4. Chappell Roan – ‘Pink Pony Club‘

After 13 weeks charting in the UK, this is ‘Pink Pony Club’s peak. The song was originally released in 2023, but it gained more and more popularity throughout the past year when Chappell Roan’s debuted album ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess‘ peaked at number one. If the song managed to climb up the charts and reach number one, it would mark the artist’s first song to achieve the position.

5. Chrystal – ‘The Days‘

‘The Days’ is Chrystal’s first song to make it on the UK’s Official Songs Charts. It debuted at number 96 in late 2024 and has since been climbing up the charts, peaking at number four for three consecutive weeks. The song was originally released on TikTok, where it gained world wide attention.

Lady Gaga’s upcoming album, titled ‘Mayhem‘, is set to be released on March 7. It will mark the artist’s seventh studio album. Last year at the premiere for ‘Gaga Chromatica Ball’ in Los Angeles, she revealed: “I am in the studio every single day. I have written so many songs, I’ve been producing so many songs, and it’s nothing like anything that I’ve ever made before. I love to break genre, and I love to explore music. There’s something really beautiful about knowing that you will be loved no matter what you do.”

New York-born Lady Gaga debuted on the UK music scene with the song ‘Just Dance’ which peaked at number one back in 2009 and charted for 53 weeks. The singer then peaked at number one once again with ‘Poker Face’ and in the same year ‘Bad Romance’, a song that defined a generation, and again in 2009 ‘Telephone’. All these songs are included in Gaga’s debut album ‘The Fame‘, which was released in 2009 and became a chart staple charting for 331 weeks (it is currently charting at number 61!).

But Lady Gaga’s success didn’t stop with ‘The Fame‘, as this iconic number one debut was followed by three number one albums: ‘Born this way‘ in 2011, ‘Artpop‘ in 2013 and ‘Chromatica‘ in 2020. With ‘Mayhem‘, the artist is looking at another number one album.

More recently, the artist peaked at number one on UK Songs Charts with ‘Shallow’ featuring Bradley Cooper, from the soundtrack of the film A Star is Born in which Gaga plays the lead character, and ‘Rain on Me’ featuring Ariana Grande.

So far the singles released off the artist’s upcoming album have done incredibly well: ‘Abracadabra’ debuted at number six, ‘Die With a Smile’ featuring Bruno Mars peaked at number two and charted, so far, for 25 weeks and ‘Disease’ peaked at number seven and charted for 14 weeks.

Only time will tell if ‘Abracadabra’ will mark seventh number one song.

It was a night of nostalgia and reinvention as both bands secured wins. The Beatles took home Best Rock Performance for ‘Now and Then,’ the long-awaited “final” Beatles song, pieced together using an unfinished John Lennon demo, with contributions from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and even a recording of the late George Harrison’s guitar work.

Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones claimed Best Rock Album for ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ their first album of original material in nearly two decades. The record, featuring guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, and Elton John, reaffirmed the Stones’ staying power in a genre they helped define.

The resurgence of these two titans of rock wasn’t just a coincidence. The Beatles harnessed the power of AI to bring ‘Now and Then’ to life, blending the past and present in a way no one had ever quite done before. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones embraced their blues-rock roots while pushing forward with fresh material, proving that their swagger and grit remain intact. A collaboration with Lady Gaga gave the album a tantalisingly modern twist. 

It’s rare for both bands to be celebrated at the same Grammys, let alone to win in the same night. The Beatles’ last Grammy nomination was in 1997, making this their first in 28 years. The Stones, while having been nominated 12 times, had not won a Grammy since 1995. This moment marked a reunion of sorts—not just for fans of either band but for the ongoing debate of Beatles vs. Stones that has fueled rock discourse for six decades.

Sixty years on from the peak of their rumoured rivalry, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are still shaping the music world. Their victories at the 2025 Grammys aren’t just about nostalgia—they’re about relevance, innovation, and the lasting impact of truly great music. As Paul McCartney reminds us with his repeated warnings against AI having too much power in the music industry, the world is constantly evolving, and there is something comforting, even poetic, about seeing these legends of a simpler time back at the top, reminding us that rock and roll never dies—it just gets better with age.

6. Chrystal – ‘The Days‘

Last week, the track had peaked at number five, and it is now holding tight to the top ten. Originally released in 2024, the song climbed charts slowly but steady after going viral on TikTok and became Chrystal’s first single to chart in the UK. The Bolton-based DJ has now signed, thanks to the song’s popularity, a contract with Polydor records. Her songs had been previously featured on BBC, but with ‘The Days’ Chrystal finally achieved her breakthrough, and we’ll surely see more from her.

7. Teddy Swims - ‘The Door‘

Teddy Swim’s hit has now spent 37 weeks in the UK top 100, six of which in the top ten. ‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy‘ was included in Official Chart’s list of biggest albums of 2024 at number 34 after peaking at number twelve and spending more than fifty weeks on charts. ‘The Door’ has peaked at number five but fell down to number 65 at the end of December; it seems like now, however, Teddy Swims is ready to make a big comeback and perhaps climb up to that top three that the song has yet to reach.

8. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile‘

It is Bruno Mars’s second song in the top ten, and has earned Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars the titles of second and first artists on Spotify. The song was a surprise drop and released in August of 2024. Despite the hype around the song, it has yet to reach the number one position, and has so far peaked at number two. Charting at number eight last week, it has made a comeback on charts and perhaps will be climbing the top ten once more.

9. Teddy Swims – ‘Bad Dreams‘

Another song by Teddy Swims in the top ten, it has charted for sixteen weeks so far and four in the top ten, peaking at number six. Despite being active on the music scene for over a decade, the artist has had his breakthrough in the past couple years thanks to his latest album and its singles.

10. Wicked Soundtrack – ‘Defying Gravity‘

The chart-defying tune off Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s screen-adaptation of ‘Wicked‘ has charted for two consecutive weeks at number ten after peaking at number seven at the beginning of December. While Idina and Kristen’s ‘Defying Gravity‘ had peaked at number 79, and the Glee Version of the song at number 38, Cynthia Erivo is proving to be the highest peaking version of Elphaba.

The star-studded gospel-inspired track is set to be featured on The Rolling Stones’ upcoming album Hackney Diamonds, which is the band’s first full-length release of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. Stevie Wonder had already been confirmed to be on the album, however Lady Gaga’s appearance, whilst heavily rumored, had never been confirmed. This new track follows the release of the previous single, ‘Angry’.

Talking to Zane Lowe for an interview on Apple Music 1, Mick Jagger discussed the collaboration with Lady Gaga on the track, as he said: “We did it live in the room, and that was a great experience, her just coming in the room and her just opening up and seeing her bits and feeling her way and then getting more confident. And then we came back and then did some extra parts that we hadn’t done on the day and then we did some tidying up and we were just in the overdub room, really face-to-face, getting them really tight, the parts really tight, and then being slightly competitive and screaming.”

Talking about Lady Gaga, Jagger also added: “She’s a really great singer and I’d never heard her sing quite that style before”. The song’s sessions also included legendary musician Stevie Wonder, who toured with the Stones in 1972.

Mick Jagger also spoke about playing with Wonder in the interview, as he said: “It’s all played live. And of course, we did overdubs, but it’s all played in the room. Yeah, there’s that moment, especially in that session where we had Stevie, and you’re feeling your way out a little bit and then you do that soul ending, which is you do sometimes on stage where you stop and you start.”

It seems it was the idea of producer Andrew Watt to have Stevie Wonder on the album. A self-confessed fan who even has a Stevie Wonder tattoo, Watt pushed the band to think about the collaboration, he said: “How cool, as a fan, for Stevie Wonder to be playing on a Rolling Stones song?”

The album will also feature original drummer Charlie Watts on two tracks. The drummer unfortunately passed away in 2021 but the band were able to use some of the drum tracks he laid down before his death.

The upcoming album Hackney Diamonds releases on October 20^th and will be available on CD, Vinyl and on all major music streaming platforms.

This tour supports Glass’ debut album, PREY//IV. Her music involves essences of noise-pop, jagged electro shapes, and rubbery rhythms bouncing under gleaming synths. Glass’ personal mission under PREY//IV will be sharing her vital music with anyone with whom it will provide a necessary refuge.

Her debut album consists of singular and electrifying elements of raw emotion that are undeniably hers, which indicates a result of a life lived wielding the necessary sharp objects to survive the awakening of trauma and abuse. Producer and musician, Jupiter io and Glass collaborated together on all the song processes in the album. I get messages from people all the time about what’s happened to me, and there’s always this cliché of the victim overcoming and becoming the survivor. It’s one-dimensional. Idealistic endings don’t represent reality. There are lots of different ways that people live their lives, and mine is one of them.” Glass concludes.

During the time between Glass’ self-titled 2017 EP and PREY//IV, the singer dedicated her time to the continuation of the healing process following the abusive treatment that was forced upon her and survived as one-half of Crystal Castles, a now-defunct electro-punk group. Glass was best known as lead singer in the band. The release of her self-titled album showcased her sharp, often political lyrics and her intense industrial-inspired sound.

Upon those four years of developing the concept of PREY//IV, Glass and her partner Jupiter io worked on writing and recording the album from their basement. The album title itself, not only describes Glass’ own personal experiences but the constant issues women statistically face in society on a regular basis. Her song in the album, “Baby Teeth” addresses turning the abuse and violence based on one’s inward experience. Her main purpose for this album provides and encourages healing to those who relate to her experience.

Pitchfork describes the movement of her sound with the interaction of the dancefloor in “Baby Teeth,” evoking the “dark thump” of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” and “Pinned Beneath Limbs” giving a SOPHIE-esque deep cut via the industrial punk’s tremor of a Posh Isolation record.

Traumabond UK Leg Tour Dates:

04/26/2023 – Belgrave Music Hall – Leeds, UK

04/28 – Stag & Dagger – Edinburgh, UK

04/30 – Stag & Dagger – Glasgow, UK

05/02 – Concorde2 – Brighton, UK

05/03 – Moth Club – London, UK

05/04 – The White Hotel – Manchester, UK

Recent studies have brought about a paradigm shift in our understanding of homophily and forming connections. With the speed up of neuro tech and advanced neuroimaging techniques in the recent years, scientists have been able to achieve major breakthroughs and measure brain activity from two or more individuals simultaneously. One of the neurobiological underpinnings they have discovered is that people with similar personality traits are more likely to have the same taste in music.

This new study was conducted by Cambridge academic Dr David Greenberg. Greenberg is a psychologist, behavioural scientist, and musician. He is the founder of the Musical Universe project, which is a scientific platform that uses masses of data to advance knowledge and improve lives across cultures. Greenberg has developed multiple scientific tests on musical engagement and his research has examined music at the intersection of social science, neuroscience, genetics, and clinical treatment. Greenberg’s recent study investigated the relationship between musical preferences and our personality. The study involved more than 350,000 participants from over 50 countries and 6 continents, discovering that the link between musical preferences and personality are universal.

Greenberg does not seek to pigeonhole music-lovers, and has said: “If people who score high for neuroticism, for example, are being fed more intense music and they’re already feeling stressed and frustrated, is that helping with their anxiety or is it just reinforcing and perpetuating? These are the questions we now need to answer. Musical preferences do shift and change, they are not set in stone. And we are not suggesting that someone is just extroverted or just open.We all have combinations of personality traits and combinations of musical preferences of varying strengths. Our findings are based on averages and we have to start somewhere to begin to see and understand connections.”

Why wait? Let’s change the world now through music! I’m honored that @DiscoverMag wrote a featured article showing the social power of music and the unique role of personality. #musicscience #musictherapy #psychology @BarIlanU @Cambridge_Uni https://t.co/WeFLMFDBtn

— Dr. David Greenberg (@greenbergmusic) April 27, 2022

Some of the eye-opening findings include: “Ed Sheeran’s song ‘Shivers’ is as likely to appeal to extraverts living the UK as those living Argentina or India. Those with neurotic traits in the US are as likely to be into Nirvana’s ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ as people with a similar personality living in Denmark or South Africa. Agreeable people all over the world will tend to like Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, or Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s ‘Shallow’. National borders cannot stop open people from replaying David Bowie’s Space Oddity or Nina Simone. It does not matter where a conscientious person lives, they are unlikely to enjoy Rage Against the Machine.”

Greenberg hopes for future research to test the links between music and personality in real-world settings as a way of seeing how music can be a bridge between people from different cultures around the globe.

Read more about the findings from the study here.

Listen to a podcast featuring Greenberg discussing what are music taste says about us here.