In a statement, Mura Masa – who from this point on I’ll refer to by his birthname Alexander Crossan – explained that the album’s title came from “those early morning hours at a party or with friends where a delivish yet innocent sense of mischief prevails”, elaborating, “It’s devil on the shoulder type fun. Not necessarily the most wholesome, but it’s a really good time.” He then went on to explain that people need, “vicarious, escapist music now. So that’s where this demon time idea came from – how do we soundtrack the 1am to 5am period where you start doing stupid shit that you don’t regret but wouldn’t do again when it emerges again post-lockdown?”

Aside from the features we’re already aware of – PinkPantheress, Shygirl etc. – Crossan is also boasting a few other high-profile artists on his album, no surprise there. Slowthai will be returning for another round after the great success that was their last hit single ‘Deal Wiv It’, Lil Yachty and Unknown T join forces for a moment on ‘No Ish’, Shygirl also made the cut for not one… but two tracks, with them as of yet unheard ‘Hollaback Bitch’. You can check out the full roster here.

While the announcement hasn’t, yet, come with the news of an accompanying tour, Mura Masa has got a bunch of UK dates already lined up for the summer. With appearances at Loves Saves The Day, Glastonbury, and All Points East Festival, there is definitely a lot of empty space to fit in a few dates on a tour. You can check out all of the dates for UK and Europe here.

Your final #BigWeekend Sunday headliner is @Harry_Styles

This is going to be SO special. A full solo festival set

Head here for everything you need to know: https://t.co/4t4HBZtjzI pic.twitter.com/MZxZvfUfc1

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) April 25, 2022

The annual three-day concert series has become BBC Radio 1’s flagship music event and is set to return to a traditional live format this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 and 2020 festivals were presented online. The music event will make its comeback on 27th-29th May 2022 at War Memorial Park, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend will see 80,000 music fans flock to Coventry to see some of music’s biggest acts perform.

Some of the network’s most played artists will join Styles as headlining acts. Set to take the main stage on Saturday 28th May 2022 are Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Aitch, AJ Tracey, Anne-Marie, Central Cee, Joel Corry and Yungblud. Full details confirming all headlining acts will soon to be confirmed, and Friday’s main stage acts have yet to be announced.

The festival has become known for showcasing both new and established acts across many stages; this year the event will consist of the Main Stage, Future Sounds Stage, Radio 1 Dance Stage and BBC Music Introducing Stage. The Future Sounds Stage is a new addition to the event and will play host to both commercially successful and emerging artists.

Billed to perform at the Future Sounds Stage on the Sunday are Foals, Alfie Templeman, Griff, Holly Humberstone, Joy Crookes, Koffee, Rina Sawayama and Wet Leg. Sawaymama has spoken about her upcoming performance, “I cannot WAIT to come and play at Radio 1’s Big Weekend for the first time!! It’s going to be such a moment.” On Saturday 28th May 2022 the Future Sounds Stage will be home to Sam Fender, Easy Life, Fontaines D.C., KSI, Mimi Webb, Pa Salieu, Sigrid and Tom Grennan. Salieu has also spoken on his forthcoming appearance, “Excited to be finally performing in my home town Coventry as part of Radio 1’s Big Weekend. I know the Coventry crowd will do our city proud and show all the other artists the energy of the Midlands.”

General tickets are selling out fast for the event but a small amount were held back; these tickets were made available to purchase today. Tickets were made available via three tiers, 60% of entry tickets were allocated for Coventry City Council residents. 2% were then allocated for those living in the remaining Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester postcodes, and the remaining 15% were then made available for the rest of the UK to purchase.

Full coverage and highlights of the event will be aired on BBC Radio 1 throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The broadcasts will be available to watch live and on-demand via the BBC iplayer and BBC Sounds.

Click here for more ticket information.

After the success of their 2017 album Ash, Ibeyi have taken to the studio again, with “Made of Gold” being the first emergence from their recordings. Ash went on to recieve widespread acclaim, making Pitchfork’s best albums of 2017 list. They then teetered on the edge of mainstream by both featuring in Beyoncé’s film Lemonade, and have since released their track “Recurring Dream”, coming out earlier this year in March.

The artful video boasts directing credits from notorious photographer Daniel Sannwald, who has produced major advertising campaigns for brands including Nike and Adidas. A soulful piece, the video features a crowned and golden-clad Pa Salieu singing to the limits of his voice, departing from his usual style to deliver something rather special. Salieu hit the mainstream last year with his album Send Them to Coventry, and has since moved from strength to strength, most recently featuring on long-time collaborator Backroad Gee’s most recent album.

The music video is highly symbolic: Lisa-Kaindé here represents the queen of water, and Naomi Diaz embodies the queen of thunder. These are references to two dieties in Yoruba religion, Yemanjá and Ṣàngó. Indeed, the group name Ibeyi itself means ‘twins’ in Yoruba, a thread reinforced by the videos twinned deities.

The video they said was inspired by Frida Kahlo’s dualist painting The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Diego, Me, and Senor Xolotl, and closes with Lisa-Kaindé reading from The Ancient Egyptian Book Of The Dead. This highly soulful piece proudly speaks to their ancestral roots, and is steeped in symbolic visuals and lyrics, with Salieu singing “we are the reincarnation”.

In a description of the track, the sisters that comprise the duo were discussing the spiritual themes of the lyrics:

“The first song we produced in the studio was “Made of Gold.” Whilst we were creating the layers of the backing vocals, we could feel that we were making contact with our ancestors; that what we were recording was calling on the brujas and our ancestors for their ancient knowledge.

““Made of Gold” is about connecting to our ancestors’ knowledge, to the truths of the past and the power of the ancient. The line is not broken, nor is it lost. Protected by these spells, our third album will see us conveying our reconnection to that power and channeling that magic into our new music.”

Since making waves with Pa Salieu on the hit track ‘My Family’, has released many singles and has been featured on many more, with a total of 17 tracks he has been involved with up until the recent album singles. These tracks include a Daily Duppy, a feature on Ghetts’ acclaimed Conflict of Interest, alongside Salieu of course, and hit single ‘A Yo’ featuring TizzTrap and BG. Watch the ‘A Yo’ video below:

His style swings freely from drill to road rap to Afrobeats, and will happily blend genres in a manner unforced. ‘A Yo’, for example, released earlier this year and now features on the recent release, has Afrobeats vibes chopped into a drill beat. ‘Dark Place’ has a similar vibe, with floaty instrumentation over an aggressive drill format. It is perhaps this liberating blend of popular genres that has made him so popular across multiple audiences.

On the project, BackRoad Gee says: “After almost two years of hard work, blood, sweat & tears (literally), I can say I’ve had some of the craziest life changes which makes this mixtape mean so much to me. If you know me personally, this music and energy I give you is me from my heart. It’s not a job I go to or an identity I put on. Every word, every punchline, every ad-lib, I feel through the energy and the music is real, not a fairytale. This is I, King Brukz, Reporting Live From The Back of The Roads!”, as per Clash.

The sound of this project goes in a different direction from his previous EP, Mukta vs Mukta, which was much more drill oriented. While his new project contains a few drill tracks here and there, it is an Afrobeats-heavy project, giving us the party vibes going into the winter.

Listen to the new album below:

Salieu was supposed to perform at the Kasbah nightclub on the 27th of November. The reasons for the cancellation is unclear, with Kasbah yet to comment. As of the time of writing, Kasbah have not put anything new on their twitter for the last nine days.

The show clearly meant a lot to Salieu, who hails from Coventry, mentions Coventry throughout his debut album, and entitled his album Send Them to Coventry. In the same statement, he says “I feel like I’m being let down by the city I love… why do they fear us?”

The show is part of his Afrikan Rebel Tour of the UK, with fellow rapper Backroad Gee as his supporting act, playing six dates across the country. Pa Salieu and Backroad Gee’s track ‘My Family’ helped Salieu become a big name in the UK. You can watch the video below:

This is the second of Pa Salieu’s shows to be called off this year, with a performance at the launch event of Coventry’s UK City of Culture. While the reasons behind the cancellation of his show at the Kasbah as of yet remain unclear, the Coventry UK City of Culture Trust stated, as per MixMag: “Due to the live nature of the investigation at the time we were preparing for our launch event, Coventry Moves, it was decided that it would not be possible for Pa to be involved.”

The investigation they are referring to is the murder case of Fidel Glasgow, where Salieu is alleged to be involved. Fidel Glasgow, the grandson of The Specials singer Neville Staple, was stabbed outside Club M and later died in hospital. While he is not directly involved in the murder, he is “accused of wounding another man during disorder preceded Mr Glasgow’s stabbing”, according to The BBC. Pa Salieu denies all charges. He is due to face trial in January next year.

Despite the Coventry UK City of Culture Trust explicitly stating that the investigation is the reason for his removal from the event, this time around both West Midlands Police and Coventry City Council said they had no involvement in the shows cancellation, as per The BBC.

See ticket information here and tour information below:

22/11/2021 – Thekla, Bristol
23/11 – Academy 2, Manchester
24/11 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
26/11 – Stylus, Leeds
29/11 – O2 Institute2, Birmingham
30/11 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

We have exciting news!!!

The shortlist for the 2021 #BRITs Rising Star as supported by @BBCR1 is…
Griff (@wiffygriffy)
Pa Salieu (@KING_SALIEU)
Rina Sawayama (@rinasawayama) pic.twitter.com/lwSO1uoQR4

— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) March 11, 2021

All three musicians took to social media to commemorate the achievement. 

Griff posted: “This is not a drill. I have been nominated for a brit award. Cant believe i just typed that out. Wanna cry. Love you all.” 

Pa Salieu wrote: “Thank you @BRITs for the Rising Star nomination… GRATITUDES to you all for always supporting me… Alhamdulillah.” 

Rina Sawayama added: “BRITS RISING STAR SHORTLIST WTF… what is this journey… thank u sm I’m on the floor.” 

Griff, full name Sarah Faith Griffiths, is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Hertfordshire. Her pop songs have already earned her nominations for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award and the BBC Sound Of 2021 Award. She was signed to Warner Music shortly after leaving school. 

Pa Salieu Gaye is a rapper from Slough who has collaborated with FKA Twigs, M1llionz and Mahalia. He released his debut single Frontline in January 2020. He won the BBC’s Sound Of 2021, and has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 

Rina Sawayama is a Japanese-British singer-songwriter. She released her debut single, Sleeping in Waking, all the way back in 2013. Her debut album, Sawayama, released in April 2020, was described as “an honest, genre-exploding self-portrait” by NME. She recently made headlines by successfully convincing the Mercury Prize and the BRIT awards to change their eligibility criteria to include anyone who has been resident in the UK for five years. 

The winner will be announced on 19th March, followed by the Brit Awards ceremony which will take place on 11th May, delayed from its usual timing of February. Previous winners of the award include big names such as Adele, Sam Smith, Florence and the Machine, Sam Fender, and Jessie J. 

Salieu tweeted a link of the performance clip on Youtube, writing: “My US TV debut performance on @jimmyfallon last night. COV & Gambia to the world thank you so much for having me familiaa!!!”

Salieu’s performance checked-off the next step on the rapper’s ascension to superstardom. Rising from humble beginnings – splitting his childhood years between The Gambia and Coventry – the artist turned to music after his friend was killed. Salieu himself was shot in the head outside a Coventry pub in October 2019, though fortunately went on to make a full recovery. In 2020 he made his mark on the UK music scene with the track ‘Frontline’ – the most played track of 2020 on BBC 1extra - as well as collaborating with fellow rising UK rap-star SL on ‘Hit The Block’.

Earlier this month, Salieu won the BBC’s Sound of 2021 prize, beating lauded rising artists such as Griff, Alfie Templeman and Bree Runway to the top spot, while also appearing on the NME list of 100 essential emerging artists for 2021.

“2020’s been sick. It’s just been a year of taking life in,” Salieu told the BBC after winning the Sound of 2021. “I’m excited for next year and what’s to come, and 2020 has given me the chance to see the light. The light’s there but I’m still in that tunnel.” On the importance and message of his music, he said: “Everything I say is exactly how I feel and exactly what I see and exactly where I’m coming from. My message is just build, build, build. Break down or make it out. Protect your energy. Protect everything.”

Pa Salieu plans to embark on a UK tour in May – find a list of his scheduled tour dates below:

11/05/2021 – Bristol, Thekla
12/05 – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
13/05 – Manchester, Gorilla
14/05 – Brighton, The Great Escape
17/05 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
19/05 – London, Village Underground
19/05 – Birmingham, Institute 2
21/05 – Coventry, Kasbah

Pa Salieu was among the talented artists announced on the longlist last month such as Alfie Templeman, Berwyn, Bree Runway, Dutchavelli, Girl in Red, Greentea Peng, Griff, Holly Humberstone and The Lathums. 

Fresh, inventive, unique. Rapper Pa Salieu has won the BBC’s #SoundOf2021.

Read more about @King_Salieu‘s story here: https://t.co/MV4CXtxgKf pic.twitter.com/a2MjGqATF0

— BBC News Entertainment (@BBCNewsEnts) January 7, 2021

He was selected by a panel of expert artists including Billie Eilish, Stormzy, Jorja Smith, Wolf Alice, AJ Tracey, YUNGBLUD, Foals, and Charli XCX. He joins previous winners who have gone on to have amazing careers such as Sam Smith, HAIM, Adele and most recently Celeste.

Speaking about the win, Pa Salieu said; “I was just really happy to even be included on the list alongside some amazing artists, a few of who I know personally. They’re all crazy talented, so to be the winner of something like this so early in my journey just feels mad.”

Madness! I have won bbc sound of 2021 so early on in my career it’s madd!! Love to my team all the judges on the panel and my bbc family!! Greatness only! 2021 we go level up!!@BBCR1 #Soundof2021 pic.twitter.com/QZNitVczXc

— PA SALIEU (@KING_SALIEU) January 7, 2021

This comes less than a year and a half after the rapper had been shot in the head outside a pub in his home city in 2019. Thankfully he recovered and then went on to release his debut mixtape Send Them To Coventry, which was named after the saying for deliberately ostracising or marginalising someone.

Speaking about the shooting, Pa Salieu explains that it could have been a very different story; “If I died last year, If I actually died – in their eyes, I would be a criminal. ‘Gang related. Drive-by shooting.’ Trust me, the whole perception would be different right now. You would have never heard of me. If you do hear of me, it’s, ‘That’s that kid that died.’ ‘Gun crime.’ ‘These foolish youths.’ No.”

The BBC #SoundOf2021 longlist is here!

Get to know the artists tipped for big things next year ⬇️@alfietempleman@berwynberwyn_@breerunway@dutchavelli1@_girlinred_@greentea_peng@wiffygriffy@HolHumberstone@TheLathums@KING_SALIEU

Find out more: https://t.co/9xxxAGfdJV pic.twitter.com/WhDS6BDpaz

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 7, 2020

Since the inception of the ‘Sound of…’ prize back in 2003, the BBC’s adjudicating panellists have honed a soothsaying knack for uncovering future stars. Previous winners of the award include 50 Cent (2003); Keane (2004); Adele (2008); Jessie J (2011); and Haim (2013). All is not lost for the long-listed artists who fail to scoop the top prize though: previous ‘unsuccessful’ nominated acts include Dizzee Rascal (2003); Scissor Sisters (2004); Lady Gaga (2009); Marina and the Diamonds (2010); Azealia Banks (2012); Chvrches (2013); George Ezra (2014); Stormzy (2015); Dua Lipa (2016); and Billie Eilish (2018).

The Sound of 2020 award winner was Celeste, who has gone on to secure further gongs this year at the Brits, BET and NME awards. The Saltdean-raised vocalist saw off stiff competition from the likes of Yungblud and Arlo Parks to claim the prize last year; telling BBC News she was “thrilled and so excited” with the win.

The full list of acts long-listed for the Sound of 2021, which will be awarded in a ceremony on January 7th, is as follows:

Alfie Templeman. Multi-instrumentalist Alfie Templeman’s fourth EP, Happiness In Liquid Form, reached number 22 in the UK Indie charts earlier this year. The Bedfordshire product, who only turns 18 in January, has been praised by DIY for his “boundless enthusiasm” which “bursts out in indie songs equally informed by R&B and bedroom pop.”

Berwyn. Trinidad-born, Romford-raised singer and rapper Berwyn Du Bois also features on Amazon Music’s One To Watch list for 2021. His debut mixtape Demotape/Vega was hailed by Pilerats as a “potent, defining record” and “a message on how even the ones with the world pitted against them can succeed.”

Bree Runway. Hackney’s Bree Runway has been described by NME as “a versatile pop star-in-waiting“, with her November mixtape 2000and4Eva acclaimed by Clash as “a bold, dynamic and cohesive body of work“. The genre-bending artist, who has also been nominated for the Video of The Year award at this week’s MOBOs for her track Apeshit, has also spoken out powerfully on the issue of colourism.

Dutchavelli. Dutchavelli’s debut mixtape Dutch from the 5th stormed to number 8 in the UK Albums chart last month. The Birmingham-born rapper also scored two top 40 singles as a lead artist (Bando Diaries and Cool With Me, featuring fellow West Midlander M1llionz); while he and Stormzy also popped up on Tion Wayne’s top ten hit I Dunno in May.

Girl In Red. Norwegian indie pop merchant Girl In Red – also known as Marie Ulven – has been described by the New York Times as “one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music, with a laser like melodic instinct that verges on the primal and lyrics that capture the sweat of real life.” The Scandinavian songstress recently scored a hit in the UK indie charts with her single Two Queens in a King Sized Bed.

Greentea Peng. South Londoner Greentea Peng – who featured on The Streets’ summer single I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him – was celebrated in Wonderland magazine earlier this year for “preaching honesty, self-confidence, and hope in the future.” The singer – real name Aria Wells – recently announced a European tour which kicks off in Berlin next April.

Griff. Hertfordshire artist Sarah Griffiths (Griff) was nominated for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in July. The vocalist, whose 2019 debut single Mirror Talk was described by Vice as “vulnerable, emotional, sincere and empowering“, is set to gain a new audience with her single Love Is A Compass, which is used on Disney’s 2020 Christmas advert.

Holly Humberstone. Lincolnshire singer Holly Humberstone’s quietly intense, otherworldly vocals evoke the stylings of Lorde, Phoebe Brid and Lana Del Rey. Her 2020 debut EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel was praised by NME for its “staggering emotional clarity and gut-wrenching tales of pain and catharsis.”

Pa Salieu. Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu’s debut mixtape Send Them to Coventry was described by Pitchfork as an “extraordinarily assured first offering from a young artist capable of surprising at every turn“, and an “invitation to a place and people unduly ignored.” Salieu’s unique fusion of West Midlands grime and African influences have seen him labelled a “compelling new voice” on the British music scene.

The Lathums. Wiganers The Lathums cite the rock and pop of the 50s and 60s as key musical influences, and fiercely resist being pigeon-holed as an indie band. In an interview with Far Out in October, frontman Alex Moore said “I just feel like we’re so different to everybody and we’re not like anybody else…We are a band and a guitar band but I don’t think there’s been anything like us.” Their EP compilation Memories We Make reached the top 20 in the UK Albums Chart this year, and the Lancashire outfit’s livestreamed gig at Blackpool Tower Circus this year saw them become the first act to play at the iconic venue since Madness in the 1990s.

‘Energy’ was released as the closing track of Pa Salieu’s debut mixtape ‘Send Them To Coventry’, which dropped on the 13^th November. Throughout, artist deals with themes of isolation and austerity, remaining genuine as he opens up about his personal life and wider social issues. It’s a candidness that feels refreshing and intimate, and is made even more impactful by backed by pounding synth beats and deep bass tones that can be heard in each track. “All my songs are based on real-life scenarios,” the rapper explained. “They all mean a lot to me, like memories and moments. They all have a meaning.” 

 

 

 

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The EP has received praise from fans and from critics alike, cementing Pa Salieu’s reputation as one of the most talented upcoming rappers in the UK music scene. “Everything British-Gambian rapper Pa Salieu touches turns to gold right now.” NME critic Dhruva Balram wrote in his 4-star review of the release. “And rightfully so: his sound, which lurches between Afro-swing, dancehall and flecks of UK road-rap, is refreshingly original and inventive.” This release follows the artist previous success with his single ‘Frontline’, which dropped earlier this year. “I’ve been working more, hella work, non-stop.” the artist told i-D Magazine. “I try not to look left or right… just progress.”

You can listen to Pa Salieu’s debut EP ‘Send Them To Coventry’ below.