Coldplay and Sting call for release of Toomaj Salehi, Iranian rapper sentenced to death
Leading cultural figures including Margaret Atwood sign statement in support of rapper who criticised Iranian regime
October 2023
‘I accomplished my dream. Why did I feel invisible?’: Leigh-Anne Pinnock on Little Mix, racism in pop, and going solo
‘I thought it was me alone’: how the Black British book festival has grown
August 2023
Here come the girls! All-female K-pop groups conquer Britain
Korean boybands have already scored huge global success. Now the gender balance is being reset
March 2023
‘needanamebro’: why the UK’s next girl band stars don’t even have a name yet
The London R&B trio are building a fanbase through an intriguing mix of 90s hothousing, a 00s-style ‘journey’ and modern-day social media intimacy
June 2022
Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist of 2021 in the UK
The pop star’s single Bad Habits was also the most-played song of last year, according to new data from music licensing company PPL
May 2022
Girl bands made British pop great – so where have all the good ones gone?
Alim Kheraj
From SVN’s moisturiser-ad feminism to the desperately named CuteBad, the groups filling the void left by Little Mix are lacklustre. They should look to the Spice Girls’ example
April 2022
Little Mix review – pop trio bow out with joyful hit rundown
After announcing an ‘extended hiatus’ the group, draped in neon feathers, take control of their legacy with a two hour blast of bangers from the past decade
February 2022
Worthy winners aside, the Brits is struggling to keep pace with modern pop
Alexis Petridis
TikTok voting and gaming stars haven’t altered the music awards’ predictable roster of chart-toppers
December 2021
New artists join Adele and Dua Lipa on list for first non-gendered Brit awards
As the music prizes strive for inclusivity, first-timers Self Esteem and Central Cee make the shortlist along with veterans Abba
October 2021
Jesy Nelson will dispose of her Black costume when it no longer serves her
Mikki Kendall
With her video for Boyz, the white musician is just the latest to adopt racist cosplay in the search for a hit
Ex-Little Mix star Jesy Nelson defends video in ‘blackfishing’ row
Singer says she did not intend to cause offence after critics said she was trying to appear black or mixed race
Jesy Nelson: Boyz review – derivative and dated P Diddy mashup
The former Little Mix singer’s long-awaited debut is a farrago of incomprehensible lyrics and queasy tropes that undermines her self-help journey
August 2021
Jesy Nelson on leaving Little Mix: ‘I felt everybody hated me’
The singer left one of the most successful girl bands of all time after a decade of relentless trolling. Now, as she prepares to go solo, she reveals why she’s ready to return to the spotlight on her own terms
July 2021
The good, the bad and Harry Styles: X Factor’s most memorable entrants
As ITV confirms it has no plans for a new series, we take a look back at some of the characters that the show foisted on the world
May 2021
TV review
Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power review – a frank therapy session with the Little Mix star
Singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock opens up about bigotry in the music business and feeling invisible because of the colour of her skin in this illuminating documentary
TV tonight
TV tonight: Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock on British racism
The singer discusses systemic racism with Alexandra Burke, Nao and Keisha Buchanan. Plus: a Falklands veteran on Saved By a Stranger. Here’s what to watch this evening
Brits: Dua Lipa tops winners as women dominate awards – video report
Brit awards 2021: the best of the ceremony and red carpet – in pictures
Women dominate 2021 Brit awards as Dua Lipa tops winners
