The censorship of these statements has lead to concerns from artists about how musicians should feel empowered to be political. Indie-underdog CMAT, nominated for International Artist Of The Year, stated she was “not a big fan of anyone trying to argue that art is not a political place” and that “everything is politics. But more than ever, art is politics because you don’t get to make art in a fascist state. Fascism is on the rise in every single country in the world.”

She had previously criticised Berlin film Festival jury’s Wim Wenders, who stated that cinema should “stay out of politics”. The Irish singer shunned Wenders’ statement as she commented on “fascism rearing its ugly head in Ireland, its showing its ugly head all over the UK and don’t even get me started on America.”

“It’s cowardice,” She said in interview with The Guardian, “And I think it is showing that these people are extremely separate from how normal people live their everyday lives. You know, they’ve become successful artists. Become successful musicians, film-makers, and so they have wiped their hands clean of having to do anything with the working classes or having to do anything with anyone who is oppressed in any nation because they have the luxury of doing that. And I don’t think that’s fair.”

Theo Ellis, drummer of UK Group of The Year BRIT winners Wolf Alice, said he felt it was left to musicians to speak out on current political affairs because of the lack of coverage in traditional media.

“[Musicians] have the power to expose people to information they might not have got somewhere else,” he said.

UK Group of The Year 2026 BRIT winners Wolf Alice on the red carpet. CREDIT: Ian West/PA Images via Getty Image

Alternative/rock category nominees Wet Leg also voiced political concerns on the red carpet. “I think that to be apolitical is political,” stated frontwoman Rhian Teasdale. The group’s guitarist Joshua Omead Mobaraki also commented on the rise of Reform UK, saying he “[doesn’t] want UK Reform to win any seats.”

Hip-hop king of the UK scene Loyle Carner shared similar concerns about UK Reform. “It’s scary times we’re living in. But it’s such low-hanging fruit. I feel, in my circle, or the echo chamber I exist in, to say that I hate Nigel Farage … it’s not hard to say that.”

Artist of the year runner-up Rebecca Taylor AKA Self Esteem expressed sympathy with other musicians who felt their political statements were being censored. “I just can’t not say what I think because it’s too frightening. I’m genuinely terrified that we’re going into a dark place, darker than where we are already.”

Alongside the nominees, comedian Jack Whitehall who was this year’s award presenter had his comments axed from the broadcast, notably a joke about Peter Mandelson. Whitehall joked that he spotted Mandelson sitting amongst a ‘politicians table’. Former Labour grandee Mandelson was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with investigation into allegations that he leaked sensitive information to sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Geese-drummer Max Bassin also had part of his speech censored from broadcasting as he accepted the award for International Group Of The Year. He made it as far as, “What’s up the Brits! I just want to say-” before the remaining speech was censored.

“Free Palestine, f*ck ICE, R.I.P. Mani, let’s go Geese,” he stated.

Once a seemingly neutral ground for politics, music and culture intersecting, the BRITs have taken a much stricter approach to political statements. In previous years, several political moments were captured on the award’s stage. 1995’s awards saw R&B royalty Prince perform a silent protest against his record label dispute, appearing onstage with “SLAVE” written on his cheek. Stormzy also utilised the stage for political input during his 2018 performance where he spoke out on the 2017 Grenfell Tower Fire, confronting Theresa May as he rapped “Where’s that money for Grenfell? You criminals.”

The sensitivity regarding political statements has been amplified across many awards ceremonies this year. In the BAFTAs last week, My Father’s Shadow director Akinola Davies announced “Free Palestine” during his acceptance speech for Best Debut by A British Writer, Director or Producer. This remark was edited out of the BBC broadcast.

In the Grammy awards ceremony last month, several artists including Hailey and Justin Bieber and Joni Mitchell were seen wearing pin badges that read “ICE out”. The censorship controversy is particularly prevalent due to what producers are ruling out as acceptable versus what is unacceptable. At the BAFTAs, John Davidson used a racial slur onstage that was didn’t get censored during broadcasting. An official apology was made owed to the activist’s Tourette’s Syndrome, but many have called the outburst “unacceptable”. The incident has sparked conversations about political censorship seeming unjustified comparatively.

No official announcements about the censorships of these statements has been made by the BRIT awards.

This years event will mark the 18th edition of the festival and is scheduled to take place between October 21 and November 2.

The Rotherham-born singer-songwriter will take over the festival on Saturday November 1 for ‘Self Esteem Presents’. Taylor will first appear in conversation with author, screenwriter and columnist Dolly Alderton. They will discuss Taylor’s literary debut, ‘A Complicated Woman’, which is out on October 30.

The Mercury Prize nominated musician’s debut book shares it’s title with Self Esteem’s latest studio album which was released in April. She is expected to discuss her lyrics, songwriting process and personal experiences.

This conversation will then be followed by “an evening of music and spoken word from artists including Travis Alabanza, Pam Ayres, Magred, Tom Rasmussen and Seraphina Simone”.

Tickets for the evening event will cost £20 +£3.50 booking fee and will be available to purchase from tomorrow (July 10) at 10am. Head here to purchase tickets and find more information.

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Taylor has spoken of her excitement at being apart of the event, saying: “I’m honoured to be curating at this year’s London Literature Festival, I’ve never really believed there to be rigid lines between songwriting, art, poetry and prose.

“I’ve always longed to be free from genre and labels, not just in my own work, but also in the art I’m drawn to. I want it all because I am greedy, and I’m no longer going to apologise for that.

“I am so excited to explore this through my involvement with the London Literature Festival, alongside a host of multidisciplinary artists I admire and am inspired by.”

Multiple key figures linked to the festival have also come out sharing their enthusiasm to have Self Esteem involved. Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, said: “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with one of my favourite artists, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, a.k.a Self Esteem. Rebecca is a masterful chronicler of what it is to be a young woman today; with her unmistakably frank and funny lyricism. Rebecca’s writing acts as a striking reminder of the galvanising power of great literature.”

The Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, Mark Ball, added: “The Southbank Centre is a place where culture makers come to congregate, collaborate and create their best work, and we’re delighted that Rebecca Lucy Taylor will bring her extraordinary vision to the curation of events at this year’s London Literature Festival.”

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Head here to purchase tickets to the event from tomorrow (July 10) morning and find out more information about ‘Self Esteem Presents’ and the London Literature Festival as a whole.

‘A Complicated Woman’ provides a feel-good sound while tackling hard hitting issues for the singer surrounding ageing, drinking and sexuality. 

Alongside the album release, Self Esteem has shared a music video for the closing track ‘The Deep Blue Okay’. The video shows the singer alone in a dark backdrop in a costume inspired by ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, the hit TV show which highlights themes of female oppression and identity. Self Esteem has stated in an interview with The Times that this costume is “my nod to women being hanged for having opinions”. She peels this off as she sings, eventually expressing the emotionally charged track in a sweatshirt and joggers.

Self Esteem has performed a series of UK acoustic shows in the week of her album release at smaller venues such as Leeds Beckett Student Union and Pryzm, Kingston. She shared intimate performances of her most vulnerable songs to fans, including ‘I Do This All The Time’ from ‘Prioritise Pleasure’.

@tigerb.ph the day this song doesn’t make me cry will be a miracle #selfesteem #rebeccalucytaylor #idothisallthetime #prioritisepleasure #acomplicatedwoman #newmusic #newalbum #acoustic #livemusic #leeds #yorkshiremusic #focusispower #fyp #6music @SELF ESTEEM ♬ original sound – Tiger Brooke

The bold, experimental singer has an impressive performance background, having previously been involved in the indie band Slow Club formed in 2006 in which she played drums, guitar and vocals. Following this, Taylor broke out as a solo pop artist, sharing in an interview with The Guardian that she was “tired of being this sweet heterosexual lady in a band”. With her new stage name, she has released three studio albums with her debut ‘Compliments Please’ in 2019. 

Self Esteem has also made her mark in the world of theatre as she has in the pop music scene, making her West End acting debut with her role in Cabaret in 2023.

Her experience in musical theatre has led to exciting music efforts for the artist. To set off the album release, Self Esteem put on a show-stopping performance of ‘A Complicated Woman’ at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre.  The performance showcases dynamic choreography for dance-pop track ‘Mother’, contrasting with a choral, emotive rendition of the poetically striking track ‘In Plain Sight’. Fans have shared their amazement at the theatrical recreation of the album on social media.  

@firth_ Self Esteem presents A COMPLICATED WOMAN Every time I close my eyes this show is playing over and over and I never want that to stop. @SELF ESTEEM #selfesteem #acomplicatedwoman #complicatedwoman #getRLTtonumber10 #rlt #prioritisepleasure ♬ original sound – laura

Self Esteem will be embarking on a UK and Ireland tour for her latest album in September 2025. Tickets can be found on her website. 

The lead single, ‘Focus Is Power’ was named Radio 1’s Hottest Record. Alongside this title Taylor was present in the BBC Radio 1 studio to provide commentary for the track whilst unveiling the news of her highly anticipated third album.

Focus Is Power.
Hottest record on @BBCR1 from 6:30PM. pic.twitter.com/m6XuMaMGrj

— Self Esteem (@SELFESTEEM___) January 21, 2025

The first preview of ‘Focus Is Power’ arrived at the right time, Taylor provided a reflection to listeners on the necessity of its release, stating in her interview with Saunders: “we need to hear it today […] Unfortunately I’ve written a song that is coming out today and the week that we’re having in the news it’s horribly appropriate”.

‘Focus Is Power’ showcases Taylor’s ability to create a healing and empowering experience within her music. Still quintessentially ‘Self Esteem’ in nature, the power within the fusion of Taylor and the accompanying choir’s vocals leaves listeners with an outer-body experience intertwined with euphoria and hope. As the chorus prevails: “I deserve to be here / And every time I fall, I crawl back like an animal / My focus is powerful”, Taylor’s soulful message throughout is both heartfelt and uplifting.

If you have focus, you have power. The power to change, learn, educate, fight. Even it it’s just in the tiniest way. Find the small pockets of defiance, focus, and keep existing. — Self Esteem (@SELFESTEEM___) January 22, 2025

While speaking with Radio 1, the ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ songstress delved into her mindset for the single: “I wrote it a long time ago […] in the pandemic I wrote it on a piece of paper in my mum and dad’s shed and stuck it up […] I felt very hopeless, and the world keeps making it hard to be me, or my peers or anyone who’s not a certain demographic.”

As ‘Focus Is Power’ provides a precedent for the upcoming album, ‘A Complicated Woman’, the 38-year-old musician provided some context as to what fans can expect: “The whole album is like, ‘I’m defeated but I’m defiant’ obviously because I always will be”.

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While being three albums deep into her ever-blooming career, Taylor recalled: “each album is like a time stamp of where I’ve got to, and me trying to make sense of it”.

Alongside ‘Focus Is Power’, there will be 11 other tracks for fans enjoy. Taylor referred to the upcoming LP as a “huge collaboration” not only with the various choirs present on the tracks but within her choice of collaborations. For instance, ‘Logic, Bitch!’ will feature Sue Tompkins, ‘Lies’ featuring Nadine Shah, while ‘In Plain Sight’ sees another iconic collaboration between Taylor and Moonchild Sanelly (who recently collaborated on ‘Big Man’ last June).

‘A Complicated Woman’ will release April 25 via Polydor Records. As anticipation builds for Self Esteem’s upcoming release, the LP is available to pre-order here.

The songstress, Rebecca Lucy Taylor, known professionally as Self Esteem, recently (as of January 16) deleted all content from her official Instagram account, then proceeded to share a post of a black box with white font, reading: “and now, I know you’re feeling ready for your bow”.

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It is not unlike Taylor to post singular lines or lyrics to her social media. On multiple occasions in the past, she has posted her thoughts, lyrics and poems as screenshots from Apple’s notes app, going on to release them as a book, SELF ESTEEM, transforming the notes app into an artform, portraying words and reflections that are relatable but quintessentially Self Esteem.

Taylor posted again today (January 17) for a second time, with another mysterious post perhaps a continuation of her last: “but the world is in your hands, you took it down”.

 

 

 

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Whether these are lyrics to potential unreleased tracks, it’s evident Taylor’s articulation is poetic, deeply thought-out and sincere.

The nature of the posts have left fans speculating whether this is an attempt by Taylor to subtly build anticipation for her third album. After all, Taylor joined Nick Grimshaw and Annie Macmanus on an episode of Sidetracked in August, where she teased some all-important details of her third album.

She revealed: “I’m 70% through making the difficult third album…  I think no one’s ever been that interested in what I’m about to do. The last album had its little moment, so I’ve got a natural amount of stress from that”.

Her comments also suggested fans will witness a new level of honesty from the singer as she navigates different sources of inspiration from her pre-existing discography, partly due to being at a new stage in her career.

She continued: “I used to have a very clear idea about what I wanted… Now the idea isn’t clear. I don’t know if it’s because I’m burnt out or because I’m 37… My mate the other day was like ‘Is there anyone who has done what you’ve done?’ and I was like ‘That’s the problem, in a way’. Everyone else did it in their 20s so there’s no blueprint. At 40 most women feel like they have to f***ing disappear, and I’m just getting started”.

Taylor’s most recent releases, that may feature on the new album, ‘Big Man’ and ‘Love Second Music First’ depict an enlightening sonic progression in Self Esteem’s artistry. Despite, Taylor feeling the pressure this time round, perhaps due to her second LP ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ receiving a nomination for 2022’s Mercury Prize, fans are eagerly waiting for the singer to release new music and these new social media posts rightly enhance anticipation for its arrival.

The festival has taken place annually, since 2006, in Dorset at the Larmer Tree Gardens and showcases an eclectic range of music, from independent rock and folk to electronic and world music. With six stages, End of the Road Festival have hosted many exclusive and unforgettable sets since its ascension. Their stages have seen boundary-breaking rapper Little Simz, indie-rock band Yard Act, Australian rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and punk duo Lambrini Girls take the stage over the last four years.

Taking place between August 28 and 31 next year, the festival witnesses huge demand each year, having sold out on every single year since its inaugural edition in 2006. Currently Early Bird, Tier 1 and Tier 2 tickets have sold out, however, the third and final tier are on sale now, and can be accessed here.

After releasing his sixth studio album, ‘Mahashmashana’ at the end of November, American musician Father John Misty was one of the first acts to be announced in End of the Road Festival’s star-studded 2025 lineup. Having been in the industry since the early noughties, Father John Misty has become renowned for his unconventional performance style and ironic lyricism throughout his discography. He recently established a younger generation of fans having obtained a viral hit on TikTok, the single ‘Real Love Baby’ originally released in 2016, resurfaced on TikTok earlier this year and currently have almost half a million videos under its sound. Father John Misty’s set at End of the Road Festival will showcase his much loved tracks along with newly released songs from his latest album.

Joining Father John Misty, Self Esteem will grace the stage with her empowering experimental pop anthems. With over a decade’s worth of experience within the music industry, Rebecca Lucy Taylor known professionally as Self Esteem, has developed a captivating artistry which surrounds lyricism with a profound vulnerability and realism against the backdrop of punchy rhythms and powerful instrumentation. Her sophomore album, ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ released in 2021 further catapulted Self Esteem into stardom due to its thought-provoking and relatable lyrics presented within an energetic pop manner. A stand-out track ‘I Do This All The Time’ reveals the complexity surrounding being human – the triumphs and the heartaches – Taylor urges herself and listeners to remain hopeful due to the track’s deeply conversational lyrics and tender composition.

Caribou, Sharon Van Etten, Moonchild Sanelly and many other exciting acts will join Self Esteem and Father John Misty in next year’s edition of the End of The Road Festival. An event all indie rock and folk listeners will love.

The song sees the pair singing “from the perspective of a good boyfriend” over an electronic beat, praising men who who are fine with doing tasks in the background of their significant other without complaining or expecting praise. The video released to accompany the song shows this with Self Esteem and Moonchil Sanelly doing chores around the home, such as cleaning the bath with a toothbrush, whilst wearing big David Byrne esc suits. The video was directed by Piers Dennis who said via Instagram “Rebecca said, “We need to make the Self Esteem version of ‘I Want to Break Free’ video!” I said, “Let’s go!”” which is shown by the hoovering throughout the video.

Talking about where the ideas for the song came from, Self Esteem said that “Me and Moon wrote a song from the perspective of a good boyfriend. The ones that are just chill and secure so they just leave you to it. The ones that don’t want a medal for doing the bins. The ones that see that you’re working your tits off so they go and get yet another thing you’ve ordered and missed the delivery of from the post office. The ones that don’t take your success as a direct threat to their existence. To me this is real masculinity.”

Speaking on how the pair came to meet she adds “We have both collaborated with Johan Karlberg on our records and I’m so grateful to him for introducing us, it was a joy to make this song together.”

She added that she wanted the video “to be an inverse ‘I Want To Break Free’ – Piers Dennis executed this gorgeously cos he’s a fucking Big Man. Self Esteem 3 lez go.”

Moonchild Sanelly added that it can be hard to be in a relationship as a female singer: “We were in the studio bonding HARD, having the deepest conversation about relationships and how it’s hard to be bold, loud female artists in a relationship. How you can be the baddest bitch on any stage, but if you have an insecure man he can’t support your success as a woman. Instead of celebrating and supporting you, he sees your success as a personal attack and uses it to pull you down and make you feel bad.”

She continued saying that her and Taylor wanted to imagine what it would be like to have a supportive partner: “And we thought… what would it feel like to be ourselves, doing what we do, and have a man who properly supported all that we are.” She said they wrote the song “from the hypothetical perspective of a man who supports their partner and is happy for their woman. A man that is fully secure. A big man.”

British pop artist Rebecca Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, has commented on misogyny in the in the music industry in light of the WEC’s latest report. Speaking with Jonny Greenwood for BBC radio 4, Taylor outlined how she thought the music industry as a whole is “not a safe environment” for women and people of colour. When questioned about the lack of female representation at major UK festivals, Taylor said that “most women quit” before their career gets to the point where they are successful enough to headline major music events.

“We revere Bowie and the Beatles, but there were so many women who were just as good but they never got the chance” - Rebecca Taylor (2024)

One testimony, outlined by the Women and Equalities Committee was that of X-factor runner-up, Rebecca Ferguson. Speaking to the commission, Ferguson said: “members of my team told me they were ‘threatened ‘or ‘bribed’ to not work with me when I ended what I deemed to be an exploitative and abusive contract.” This only illustrates Taylor’s point that many women and people of colour are placed between a rock and a hard place: either put up with abuse and economic exploitation or leave the music industry altogether.

As a result of an in-depth investigation, the commission has put forward the suggestion that freelance workers should be subject to the same protections against discrimination as employees. The commission specifically mentions section 14 of the 2010 Equalities Act, which prohibits favourable treatment of employees on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Many in the music industry are self-employed, often signing temporary agreements and deals as freelancers rather than as contracted employees. Although freelancers are, on paper, protected under section 14, the WEC argues that there is no current legislative infrastructure to uphold this protection.

The WEC has also outlined how non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been abused by individuals and companies within the music industry, especially with regards to incidents involving victims of sexual harassment and assault. An NDA is a legally binding contract that ensures that the signee will not speak about certain topics that are outlined within the document. NDAs are often used by companies to make sure that trade secrets or business plans do not become publicly available, however the WEC has found that victims of sexual harassment and violence in the music industry are forced into silence through these legally binding ‘agreements’.

“Women we spoke to described how they were coerced into signing by businesses who threatened to ruin them financially or reputationally if they refused to sign.” ­– WEC Report (2024) P53

Despite hardship, abuse, and discrimination, the WEC’s report could push the industry in a more positive direction. The commission has outlined specific legislative changes that, they say, must be enacted upon to improve the working conditions of women and people of colour in the music industry. It is now up to parliament as to whether these proposed changes are enacted upon.

Speaking hopefully about the report, Rebecca Taylor said: “this report is quite exciting because I didn’t think in my lifetime that we would see any transparency about it [misogyny in the music industry].” Although this report is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, Taylor was quick to point out that “equality is a long way away”.  

The Britpop icon band, Blur, have decided to greet us once again. The band have announced a collection of four small gig dates for the run up to their official world tour, set to kick off in June.

Come as they may, the group’s fans will be delighted to get in touch with them again. This tour will mark their first headlining gigs since their most recent release of The Magic Whip back in 2015. There has been no trace of fresh sound since then, with only a live album release Live At The BBC in 2019 and the “Blur (25th Anniversary Sampler)” in 2022.

As a warm up for the big journey, they will be playing four shows in May around the UK. The first show will take place at Colchester Art Centre – a 300 head venue capacity – on the Friday, 19th of May. Blur’s frontman, Damon Albarn, is from Colchester, where he met guitarist Graham Coxon when studying at Stanway School.

The following gig is to take place on the 21st May at the Winter Gardens in Eastbourne, a slightly larger venue than the first intimate one. On the 26th of May they will be stopping at Wolverhampton to play at The Halls to then finish in Newcastle on the 28th of May where they will be performing at the O2 City Hall.

After the offering of this string of intimacy, the band finally loom into reality. On the 1st of June they land their first big show in Barcelona at the renowned Primavera Sound Festival. As from here they will be hopping around the world until the end of August. Visiting countries such as Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Finland and, to finish off, Japan.

In Japan they will play in Tokyo at Summer Sonic 2023 on the 19th of August and will be finally tying up their horses in Osaka at the Maishima Sonic Park on the 20th of August.

The tour will featured by special guests on stage. The first show is to be accompanied by the UK rapper Slowthai, the British musician known as Self Esteem and the indie duo from London, Jockstrap. The following day they are to be joined on stage at Wembley by rock star Paul Weller as well as the ska revival duo from Coventry, The Selector.

Tickets for the UK shows in May will be available to buy this Friday, 28th of April. Click here for access.

UK Tour Dates:

19/05/2023 – Colchester Art Centre – Colchester
21/05 – Winter Gardens – Eastbourne
26/05 – The Halls – Wolverhampton
28/05 – O2 City Hall – Newcastle
08/07/ – Wembley – London
09/07 – Wembley – London

Guests and nominees had already started to arrive at the London venue including Sam Fender and Little Simz who had been rehearsing their performances. The show was scheduled to be screened on BBC Four, however, the BBC’s regular programming was interrupted to focus on the declining health of Queen Elizabeth. The organisers had already axed the red carpet segment of the event and they were moments away from opening the show, until being forced to postpone as a mark of respect.“Tonights Mercury Prize event has been postponed at this time of great national sorrow. We know everyone involved in the Mercury Prize will understand,” the organisers said in a statement.

The nominees for this year’s Mercury Prize also included Self Esteem, Wet Leg, Harry Styles and Gwenno. Harry Styles was nominated for his critically acclaimed third solo album but was not due to attend as he is currently on tour in America. The ceremony was set to include performances from Jessie Buckley, Wet Leg, Nova Twins and bookies’ favourite to win, Self Esteem.  

If anyone near the Hammersmith Apollo can collect hot food and blast chill it please reply or dm me for more info. The other food has been hooked up with the local church. Pls rt.

— Rebecca Lucy Taylor (@SELFESTEEM___) September 8, 2022

Self Esteem, real name Rebecca Taylor, had arrived at the event before the postponement was announced. Upon hearing the show would not be going ahead, she took to Twitter to seek help in donating the food and drink that had been prepared for the event. “If anyone near the Hammersmith Apollo can collect hot food and blast chill it please reply or dm me for more info. The other food has been hooked up with the local church. Pls rt.” she wrote. After much sharing, Under One Sky and Punjabi 1946 came in to freeze the food and distribute it to those who need it. “Ok we did it!!” she Tweeted, “@amritmaanldn is picking it up and getting it in a freezer to be distributed tomorrow!!! Thanks Jackie Joseph for your help. And thanks Twitter for the rts! Everyone hit up Amrit’s restaurant in cov garden asap. Love you all.”

The BBC Proms were also set to begin at 7.30 pm yesterday. With the announcement of the Queen’s death an hour earlier, they too decided to cancel as a mark of respect.