Loud and queer: Gareth Thomas, Rosie Jones and more on the culture that helped them find their true selves
From a rugby great to a former MP, LGBTQ stars spill the beans on the shows, songs and films that made them understand their identity
September 2022
End of the Road review – post-punk, cosmic jazz and weirdo pop offer a genuine alternative
The real gold is further down the bill, from the angelic vocals of Circuit des Yeux to the distortion of Wu-Lu and the Vegas showman meets tropical funk of Perfume Genius
April 2021
Pino Palladino, pop's greatest bassist: 'I felt like a performing monkey!'
One of the world’s most celebrated bass players has worked with everyone from Adele to Elton John, the Who and D’Angelo. But the Welsh musician has hidden from the spotlight – until now
March 2021
'Magic happens, often': Christine and the Queens, Haim, Nile Rodgers and more on the joy of live music
Musicians on the thrill of playing live – and what we can expect when gigs return
February 2021
Sali Hughes on beauty
Perfume with a conscience
The lavish, throwaway packaging that comes with luxury scent is on its way out
December 2020
Best music of 2020
The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list
Best music of 2020
The 50 best albums of 2020, No 4: Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
November 2020
Best music of 2020
The 20 best songs of 2020
Our writers considered hundreds of contenders – and here are their picks of the year. Listen to all 390 tracks they voted for on our playlist
July 2020
My fantasy festival
'Socially distanced Venetian gondolas!' – Rufus Wainwright on his dream festival
With festival season cancelled, we’re starting a new series asking stars for their dream lineups. First up is Rufus Wainwright, blending opera and Florence Welch
May 2020
Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately review – pop poet discovers new powers
Perfume Genius: 'I'm constantly demanding a big feeling'
April 2020
The music essay
No shape: how tech helped musicians melt the gender binary
In new book Glitter Up the Dark: How Pop Music Broke the Binary, Sasha Geffen explores music’s new gender nonconformists - here’s an extract
May 2018
Festivals 2018
‘You can wee in a catsuit!’ ‘Dump the Ed Sheeran fan!’: Perfume Genius’s festival tips
Got a festival-related problem? Our agony uncle solves your dilemmas and despairs, from dodgy burgers to teeth cleanliness concerns
December 2017
Best culture 2017
The best albums of 2017, No 5: Perfume Genius – No Shape
Observer critics' review of 2017
Kitty Empire’s best pop of 2017
Best music of 2017
The best albums of 2017: the full list
Best music of 2017
The top 100 tracks of 2017
November 2017
Me and the muse
Me and the Muse: Perfume Genius on his sources of inspiration
Mike Hadreas on the everyday business of songwriting and his earliest musical obsession
September 2017
Autumn arts preview 2017
Miley, Morrissey and Marnie the opera: the essential pop, classical and jazz for autumn 2017
Liam goes for broke, St Vincent bounces back, Nico Muhly gets Hitchcockian, Taylor Swift defends her reputation, and Peggy Seeger pens her memoirs
June 2017
The best albums of 2017 so far
From Richard Dawson’s medieval Britain to Pixx’s super-contemporary take on pop – plus sharp records by stars such as Kendrick Lamar and Drake – 2017 is already shaping up to be a great musical year
